Cuban native Jorge Soler is still not officially a free agent, but this hasn’t stopped the flow of rumors involving the outfielder. Once Major League Baseball makes things official, many around the league expect Soler to sign with the Chicago Cubs. However, Soler has drawn interest from multiple clubs including the Red Sox, Indians, Phillies, White Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Yankees and Marlins.
This weekend, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Indians do have interest in Soler, bringing the 20-year-old’s list of known suitors to nine. However, despite the Indians interest, Hoynes said Soler’s “price is going to be way out of their range”.
While the Indians are unlikely to land Soler, a major league source recently told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the Red Sox will pursue the slugger. Money could be less of an issue for the Red Sox, but they are currently expecting the Cubs to ultimately win the bidding for Soler once he is declared a free agent by Major League Baseball.
Price is expected to become a serious factor in the Soler bidding, as the Cuban defector represents the last significant international free agent to hit the market before the $2.9 million cap comes into effect. For this reason teams are expected to throw large amounts of cash at the prospect while they still can.
For more on the Indians and Red Sox, be sure to check out Wahoo’s on First and BoSox Injection.
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