Position: 2B/OF
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 01/11/1995
College: University of Louisville
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Drafted: 2nd Round, 62nd Overall, 2016 (Yankees)
Bonus: $950,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2025
Options Left: 0
Overview
The Yankees drafted Solak in the second round in 2016 as an offense-oriented second baseman with good contact ability and a line-drive bat. As a pro, he’s played second the most, but he’s also played a little at third and a lot in the outfield, including some in center. He has well above average speed, but his arm isn’t good, and both scouts and the defensive metrics consider him below average in the infield or outfield. He’s shown solid plate discipline, but only moderate power. The Pirates signed him to a minor league contract for 2025.
2016-18
Solak made his way through the minors quickly. The Yankees sent him to short-season ball after the draft, then jumped him to high A in 2017. He finished that year with 30 games in AA. At every stop he hit for average with moderate power and good BB:K ratios.
Before the 2018 season, the Yankees sent Solak to Tampa Bay in a complicated three-team trade. He spent that season in AA, hitting 282/384/450.
2019
Solak started 2019 in AAA and eventually reached the majors, but only after a trade to Texas in July. With the Rays, he put up an .838 OPS with 17 home runs in the International League. After the trade, Texas sent Solak to their AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League and he hit another ten home runs with a 1.038 OPS. Both AAA leagues that year used a juiced ball, so the 27 HRs probably needed to be viewed with some doubt. Texas called Solak up in late August and he got into 33 games in the majors. The hitting continued there, as he put up a 293/393/491 line with another five longballs.
2020-22
Solak spent the pandemic season playing left, center and second for Texas. His hitting fell off sharply to a .671 OPS with limited power. He spent most of 2021 as the Rangers’ regular second baseman but continued to struggle at the plate, with a .677 OPS. The Rangers sent him to AAA in July, although they called him back up in August. In 2022, Solak opened the season with the Rangers, but the struggles continued and he was sent to AAA in mid-May. He got into only nine major league games after that. He hit well in AAA but had just a .638 OPS in the majors.
2023-24
After the 2022 season, Solak did a lot of traveling. Texas sold his contract to the Reds in the offseason and Cincinnati sold it to Seattle at the end of spring training 2023. In a period of less than two months starting in mid-April, Solak was claimed off waivers three times, by the White Sox, Braves and Tigers. Except for one game each with Detroit and Atlanta, he spent the season in AAA, where he hit just a composite 238/363/358. Detroit outrighted him to AAA in early August.
Solak became a free agent after the 2023 season and signed a minor league deal with Seattle. He spent the season in AAA and rebounded to hit 311/406/446, although that was in the high-offense PCL. He became a free agent again after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.
Stats
Transactions
June 10, 2016: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round, 62nd overall pick; signed on June 21.
February 20, 2018: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade, with Brandon Drury traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Yankees; Taylor Widener from the Yankees to the Diamondbacks; Steven Souza, Jr., from the Rays to the Yankees; and Anthony Banda, Colin Poche and Sam McWilliams from the Diamondbacks to the Rays.
July 13, 2019: Traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Texas Rangers for Peter Fairbanks.
August 20, 2019: Contract purchased by the Texas Rangers.
November 10, 2022: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Cincinnati Reds for cash.
March 31, 2023: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Seattle Mariners for cash.
April 14, 2023: Claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners by the Chicago White Sox.
April 18, 2023: Claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox by the Atlanta Braves.
June 9, 2023: Claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves by the Detroit Tigers.
August 6, 2023: Outrighted to AAA by the Detroit Tigers.
November 6, 2023: Became a free agent.
February 6, 2024: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Seattle Mariners.
November 4, 2024: Became a free agent.
December 6, 2024: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.