Solomon went undrafted in 1969 and signed with the Dodgers as a free-agent amateur. After five seasons in the club's farm system, he was given his first MLB trial in September . But he appeared in only eight games over two seasons as a Dodger, and was included, with Geoff Zahn, in the impactful May 2, 1975, trade in which Los Angeles acquired Burt Hooton from the Cubs. His Chicago stay was also brief, with only six MLB games pitched in before he was dealt to the Cardinals' organization. The season saw Solomon's first extended tenure in the majors, when he appeared in 26 games for the Cards, 24 of them in relief. But when began, Solomon found himself back in the minor leagues. He was traded for the third time in three seasons when St. Louis shipped him to the Braves on May 24. After he spent more time in Triple-A, the Braves recalled him in July, and gave Solomon his first opportunity as a starting pitcher; appearing in 18 games, 16 as a starter, he compiled a 6–6 won–lost record for a team that would lose 101 games. Although saw Solomon back in the bullpen, he returned to Atlanta's starting rotation in , setting career bests in games started (30), innings pitched (186), complete games (4) and strikeouts (96). Still, he struggled in the won–lost column, going 7–14 and finishing fifth in the National League in games lost.
