Yangervis

Solarte

Bob Nightengale of USA Today says Solarte will receive $1 million if in the majors. The veteran utility player has struggled the last two seasons but was plenty useful before that as an above league-average hitter who can play multiple positions. He’ll have a real shot to make the Braves’ roster.

Solarte signed a minor league contract with the Marlins in early June, about a month after getting released by the Giants, and has been stationed at Triple-A New Orleans ever since. There is language in that deal with Miami that allows the 31-year-old infielder to pursue opportunities overseas, and he made an early exit from a game Tuesday night in NOLA. Something more official should be announced soon.

According to Craig Mish of FNTSY Radio, Solarte will report to extended spring training before joining Triple-A New Orleans. Given his versatility and the lack of quality depth that the Marlins have at the big league level though, it shouldn’t be long before he gets an opportunity. Solarte his just .205/.247/.315 in 28 games with the Giants before he was cut loose.

Solarte, 31, was batting just .205/.247/.315 with one home run through 28 games this season with San Francisco. Mac Williamson is essentially taking his spot on the Giants’ active roster.

It came in garbage time, but it still counts. With the Giants trailing 6-0, Solarte hit a blast off of Luis Cessa, and it’s his first homer of the season for the utility player, and first in a San Francisco uniform. He’s now hitting .235 with a .664 OPS, and offers no fantasy significance in his current role.

Solarte broke a scoreless tie with an RBI double to right field off Padres’ reliever Robert Stock in the sixth inning. He also came around to score on a base-hit by Evan Longoria later in the frame. The 31-year-old veteran appears to be locked into the second slot in the Giants’ lineup, which makes him an appealing middle infield option in deeper mixed leagues.

Solarte is starting in place of Joe Panik with opposing left-hander Joey Lucchesi on the hill for the Padres. Solarte is expected to function in sort of a super-utility role for the Giants, but he could actually be relevant in deeper fantasy leagues if he’s going to continue batting third in the lineup.

Solarte punished Rockies’ starter Jeff Hoffman for the game-changing blast in the fourth inning, giving the Giants a 4-2 edge that they wouldn’t relinquish. With his 1-for-3 effort on Friday, Solarte is now hitting .314 (16-for-51) with a pair of homers and 11 RBI on the spring.

Solarte follows up his big afternoon against the White Sox on Tuesday with another solid one on Wednesday. The 31-year-old is currently in camp with a minor league contract, but it would be a major upset if he wasn’t the backup infielder for the Giants in 2019.

Solarte went deep for a solo shot off left-hander Manny Banuelos in the bottom of the first inning before adding an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. The 31-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Giants earlier this month but seems to be assured of a spot on the major league roster. If all goes well, he’ll get semi-regular playing time all around the San Francisco infield.