No word has come out on a time frame regarding top Cuban prospect Jorge Soler’s residency status. This unknown has not caused teams to shy away from the 19-year-old. It was reported this weekend that as many as eight teams, including the Blue Jays, Phillies, Cubs and Yankees, were in on Soler, and it now appears we can add another club to the mix. Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reported yesterday that the Astros are also eyeing the outfielder.
General manager Jeff Luhnow and the new Astros regime have made it clear that things are going to change in Houston. More emphasis has been put on statistical analysis and the Astros minor league system. Another area Luhnow would like to see improve is Houston’s presence in the Latin American market.
Luhnow indicated that the Astros have watched Soler workout, and added that he’s seen him before. While Soler is still not on the free agent market, Luhnow said Houston is “keeping tabs on him”.
According to Levine, the Astros are looking to boost their presence in Latin America. Luhnow said that, during his trip to the Dominican Republic, he was able to see “a lot of quality players” that he “wasn’t necessarily aware of” before.
Before the Astros or any major league club can sign Soler, he must first establish residency in the DR. At that point he will be eligible to be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. We’ve seen how this process can drag out in the case of Yoenis Cespedes, but teams figure to be more willing to wait on Soler as he’s likely slated for several years of seasoning in the minors.
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