Jorge Soler Drawing Serious Interest
If you were to hear the description of Cuban-defector looking to make the jump to professional baseball in America, the first name to come to your mind would likely be Yoennis Cespedes. But, there is another Cuban-born player that is drawing serious interest from several teams around the league and his name is Jorge Soler. The Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins have already shown interest in Soler, who is said to have more upside than Cespedes.
Soler is a 19-year-old Cuban-defector who is expected to hit the free agent market in the next few weeks. A 6-3 center fielder, Soler has shown the potential to hit for serious power down the road. He may have to eventually switch over to a corner outfield spot, but his bat as currently projected would still play very well.
According to the Nationals’ director of International Scouting Johnny Dipuglia, Soler’s “got a Hanley Ramirez-type body”. Dipuglia describes Soler as having a “Plus arm. Plus bat speed” and as “a good kid, a good-energy kid”.
While Cespedes is more major league-ready, Soler would require significant time in the minors. Still, scouts say Soler has the potential to hit for greater power than Cespedes who is projected by some to be a 30-30 guy. Like Cespedes, Soler is currently working out in the Dominican Republic.
At this point, many believe Soler will ink a similar deal to the one Leonys Martin signed with the Texas Rangers last year. While Martin received a three-year, $15.5 million contract, Soler’s deal could wind up being a bit more lucrative because of his age and potential.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.