Jorge Soler Rumors: No Cubs Deal in Place; Yankees Seriously Interested
By Editorial Staff
Interest in 19-year-old Cuban defector Jorge Soler is picking up, as Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com is reporting that many teams are in the mix for the outfielder. It was reported earlier this week that the Cubs were focusing their attention on Soler and became the favorite to sign him. Beyond the Cubs there are several other mystery teams expressing interest in Soler. One club known to have “serious interest” in Soler is the New York Yankees.
It was reported Monday that the Cubs were turning their attention from Yoenis Cespedes to Soler. These initial reports included speculation that Chicago was willing to offer Soler a contract as high as $27.5 million.
Late Monday night, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweeted that he believed the Cubs and Soler already had a deal in place. In his opinion, the only thing keeping the teenager from officially signing was the fact that Major League Baseball had yet to declare him a free agent.
While the Cubs are still considered a frontrunner for Soler, it appears that other teams have jumped into the mix as well. The only other team to have their name attached to Soler at this point is the Yankees. ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted yesterday that, according to sources, New York has serious interest in Soler. Olney added that the Cubs are in fact not close to reaching a deal with Soler.
Jon Heyman is terming the Soler situation “Cespedes II”. According to Heyman, there are “many mystery teams” expressing interest in Soler. Other teams that have been tied to Soler this offseason are the Rangers, A’s, Nationals, Phillies and Marlins.
Who are some of the ‘mystery teams’ you expect to be involved in the Soler bidding?
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