Jorge Soler Can Opt Out Of Contract

Monday brought news that 20-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler signed with the Chicago Cubs. Other teams, including the Yankees, were in pursuit, but the Cubs won out because they offered the most money, which is how teams win out in things like this. Initial word was that Soler signed for nine years and $30 million.

Which is absolutely correct. But, ho! A twist! Ken Rosenthal:

Once Soler becomes eligible for salary arbitration, he will have the right to choose arbitration instead of the annual salaries specified by his contract, according to a major-league source.

We don't yet know the year-by-year breakdown of Soler's contract. But if he makes good progress toward the major leagues, and if he has success in the major leagues, then after he's accumulated three years of service, he could seek out more money than the contract guarantees. So you could think of this as a nine-year contract worth at least $30 million.

Of course, if Soler opts out and chooses arbitration, that means he's performed well. The Cubs will be ecstatic if Soler performs well, and players earn less in their arbitration years than they do as free agents anyway. So if Soler turns out good, the Cubs will have him at something of a bargain, and if Soler turns out bad, he'll still be financially set for the rest of his life. Provided he's smart with his money, as all young athletes are.

Jorge Soler, Cubs Agree To 9-Year Contract

As the final international free agent of his type, Jorge Soler stood to cash in. He's the last high-profile young guy from another country on whom a major-league baseball team could spend as much as it wanted, without having to worry about any future penalties. There were reports that Soler signed on with the Chicago Cubs. Those reports have been confirmed. Did he cash in? You bet he cashed in.

Soler got about $30M in cubs deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 11, 2012

soler deal is 9 years w/ cubs

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 11, 2012

These reports have also been confirmed. The 20-year-old Soler has signed with the Cubs for nine years and $30 million.

Unlike Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban outfielder who signed a four-year contract with Oakland, Soler is not thought to be big-league ready. Far from it, as a matter of fact, and Soler's expected to begin his professional career near the very bottom of the organizational ladder. But if he's as talented as they say he is, he could rise in a hurry and turn himself into the franchise cornerstone the Cubs so desperately hope he can be.

Nine years and thirty million dollars seems like an awful lot to invest in a prospect. But, is it, when it's a prospect like Soler? I don't actually have any idea, myself. But by asking the question this way, it makes me sound deep. Writing is all about becoming comfortable with these little tricks.

Report: Jorge Soler Agrees With Cubs

The biggest acquisitions of the Cubs' offseason don't play baseball. They work in offices. There was some though that the Cubs would spend all sorts of money on Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols, but they never made a concerted effort for either.

They're obviously willing to spend money for the right fit, though, and that right fit was apparently 20-year-old Cuban defector Jorge Soler.

I hear the #Cubs won out for Jorge Soler. #Yankees tried, but didn't get him.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 11, 2012

If you can remember all the way back to February, the Cubs were reported to have signed Soler already, but those reports were inaccurate. Or they were accurate, but it took a while.

This would mark the second time the Cubs made a splash in the Cuban market, as they signed Cuban pitcher Gerardo Concepcion in February for $6 million over five years. So far the 20-year-old lefty is struggling, walking 23 batters and allowing 48 hits in 38 Class-A innings.

Report: Dodgers Out On Jorge Soler

You've probably never seen Jorge Soler swing a bat. You don't know if he can hit a major-league curveball, or if he swings at everything like a Wily Mo Pena without the self-control. But he's an important free agent because he's the last young international free agent who can create a bidding war. If a team is looking to spend a lot of money on its farm system, this is its last chance.

And the Dodgers appeared to be a team that would chase Soler. After spending $2 billion on the franchise, the new Dodgers owners would probably like to a) make the team better and b) make a statement. Soler might accomplish both.

But according to Tim Brown, it isn't to be:

Jorge Soler is going somewhere, but not to L.A. Dodgers are no longer engaged. Cubs, Yanks, Jays (per @JonHeymanCBS), mystery team?

— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) June 11, 2012

The teams that are reportedly still in are the Yankees, Cubs, and Blue Jays, and Soler is expected to decide soon.

Jorge Soler Asking For Bids In This Weekend

We heard earlier this week that Cuban free agent Jorge Soler wanted bids on his services in by Thursday. Several teams watched him work out on Wednesday, and then Thursday came and went with no news on bids.

Now we know why! Buster Olney:

The next rounds of bids are due on free agent outfielder Jorge Soler this weekend, according to sources.

The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have all been aggressive in pursuit of the 19-year-old Cuban, sources say.

The Cubs have invested the most time in getting to know Soler, but the Dodgers might be a wildcard, because of the team’s new ownership and commitment to the international market, according to sources.

It doesn’t say when this weekend, so if you are a fan of one of the teams involved, you’ll want to pay close attention. No matter when the bids do get in, there is one deadline that won’t change:

Soler has until July 2 to sign a contract under previous collective bargaining agreement. Under those rules, teams can bid any amount they wish for a foreign player. After that date, the new rules will prohibit bids more than $2.9 million.

Since the bids on Soler are rumored to be as much as $25 million to $35 million, you can bet that deadline will be adhered to.

Jorge Soler On Cubs' Radar

Cubdar, as it were.

The Chicago Cubs were one of the confirmed teams at a Wednesday workout for Cuban defector Jorge Soler, and GM Jed Hoyer elaborated a bit on the team's interest:

"We’ve obviously scouted him extensively – a lot of teams have," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "We had a similar situation with (Yoenis) Cespedes this winter and it’ll be intriguing. But certainly we’ve done our work on him. That doesn’t make us unique. That’s our responsibility – (to) scout him heavily and get to know him and we’ve tried to do that.

With the new rules and caps on drafting and international signings, Soler is the last super-prospect who can be signed for a million-billion dollars if teams are willing to pay it. The 20-year-old outfielder is supposed to be a hardware store with All-Star potential, and almost every team in baseball has been sniffing around, with the Cubs being the team most often linked to him.

Cuban Free Agent Jorge Soler Wants All Bids In By Thursday

Jorge Soler, the second big Cuban free agent to hit the open market this year (after Yoenis Cespedes, who went to the Oakland Athletics), isn’t wasting any time. He wants all bids for his services in by Thursday, according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago:

According to a major league source, all teams have been asked by Soler’s agents, Praver-Shapiro Sports Management, to get in their best bid for the 19-year-old, five-tool player by June 7. The going rate for Soler’s services is expected to be between $25-35 million, according to industry sources.

The Cuban defector by way of the Dominican Republic must be signed before July 2 in order to get paid under baseball’s previous collective bargaining agreement. The old agreement is not subject to the new taxes and sanctions that the new CBA will incorporate.

The last paragraph is the key; Soler and his agents clearly want bids in soon so they can weigh offers in the four weeks before July 2. The Chicago Cubs were said to be one of the teams most highly interested in Soler, but the White Sox, Yankees and Marlins, among others, have also shown interest.

“All clubs will have an equal opportunity to bring ‘Soler Power’ to their organization,” agent Barry Praver said.

One thing we can hope for, no matter who signs him, is that there is an instant moratorium on puns based on Soler’s last name.

Cuban Prospect Jorge Soler Declared Free Agent

Cuban right fielder Jorge Soler is now on the market. The player has been declared an international free agent.

Blue Jays, Orioles, Everyone Else Joining Jorge Soler Derby

On February 13, the Chicago Tribune published an article with the following headline:

Cubs expected to add Cuban outfielder Soler

And that was that. We dusted our hands off, started to type, then looked for the next newly discovered international prospect to burden with our hopes and expectations. But after the deal with the Cubs was supposedly done, more and more teams joined the mix. First it was the Yankees, then the Phillies were in. The Marlins were in before they weren't.

Now the Blue Jays and Orioles are pecking around. From MLB.com:

On Wednesday morning, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and members of his front office watched the 19-year-old Soler -- along with Cuban pitcher Armando Rivero, outfielder Henry Urrutia and left-handed pitcher Omar Luis -- work out at the club's complex in Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic, according to an industry source. The Orioles are scheduled to visit Soler in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, the source added.

According to the Ken Rosenthal article linked up there, scouts are comparing Soler's power to Mike Stanton, which seems impressive until you remember that Stanton was a pure average hitter who had only one double in his career.

There's no rush to sign Soler, as it's not as if a team is desperate to shove the 19-year-old into the starting lineup, so he can afford to play the market a bit. Heck, he's technically not even a free agent yet. And with at least a fifth of the league buzzing around him, he could end up with a pretty sweet deal.

Why Your Team Should Be In On Jorge Soler

Now that Yoenis Cespedes is off the market, Jorge Soler is the last international free agent who will create a bidding war before the start of the new CBA.