June 2, 201214 yr http://www.mlbtrader...free-agent.html Jorge Soler has been declared a free agent and is now eligible to sign with any team, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 20-year-old Cuban outfielder will be subject to the spending restrictions imposed by the new collective bargaining agreement as of July 2nd, but he can sign for any amount prior to then. The Indians, Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Astros are said to have interest in Soler, and I'm sure many other clubs will get involved as well. Back in March we heard bogus reports that the Cubs had agreed to a contract with the outfielder. Two GMs speculated that the bidding would exceed five years and $15-20MM back in February.
June 2, 201214 yr BTW: Soler is said to have Stanton-like power but projects to hit for an higher average. Many have his potential ranked higher than Cespedes, but Soler still needs 1-2 years in the minors. Will be very risky paying a butt-load of money for someone that isn't proven though
June 2, 201214 yr I don't believe anyone has Stanton like power. It's impossible. Still would like to get this kid. We need some prospects.
June 3, 201214 yr Signing a big time Cuban star would be good in more ways than one for this franchise right now.
June 3, 201214 yr Signing a big time Cuban star would be good in more ways than one for this franchise right now. cough cough... cespedes.. cough
June 3, 201214 yr Why not make a run and put him in AAA for a year or so? It's not like we have an overflowing amount of high potential guys in the minor leagues.
June 3, 201214 yr What about Petersen and Cogs? Guess one gets traded and the other is 4th OF? And doesn't Petey lead the team in OF assists? Or is that Stanton?
June 3, 201214 yr What about Petersen and Cogs? Guess one gets traded and the other is 4th OF? And doesn't Petey lead the team in OF assists? Or is that Stanton? Couldn't imagine that being Peterson, He hardly plays when boni is good to go.
June 3, 201214 yr Signing a big time Cuban star would be good in more ways than one for this franchise right now. cough cough... cespedes.. cough You mean, Cespedes of the 755 OPS? Soler is 6 years younger with less raw power. I am guessing he spends at least 3 years in the minors. That being said, you try to sign the guy.
June 3, 201214 yr What about Petersen and Cogs? Guess one gets traded and the other is 4th OF? And doesn't Petey lead the team in OF assists? Or is that Stanton? There are better players out there, so yes both should be gone in favor of better players. Soler certainly from all accounts actually projects higher than Cespedes as a prospect, but he does need some minor league time. I would hope they would make a big run at him.
June 3, 201214 yr BTW: Soler is said to have Stanton-like power but projects to hit for an higher average. So better than Stanton then. Got it.
June 3, 201214 yr Apparently, his agent claims that he already has offers of $25 mill on the table. Does it make sense to stash this guy in the minors (for one or more years) to develop him? The longer he's in the minors, the more he costs per year of MLB. Maybe he's a Stanton, maybe he's a bust. Or something in between. I've traded financial markets for 40 years. You know, where there are some things that are quantifiable and can be relied upon. I don't envy Beinfest, et al having to arrive at some multi-million dollar figure to make a one-shot bid on a total pig-in-a-poke. You pays your money, you takes your chances...
June 3, 201214 yr i mean this guy is supposed to be 2-3 years away from playing in the majors, which means he could be a total bust. high upside is an understatement, but this is not a deal i would make.
June 3, 201214 yr Maybe not, but we are pretty thin in the farm system right now, and especially lack outfielder talent to replace Morrison when he's permanently the first baseman.
June 3, 201214 yr Keep in mind that a 5-year deal likely gets you only 3 years of Major League time, at which point he'd be a free agent again. That's half as long as a usual rookie.
June 4, 201214 yr Kinda thin on OF depth right now. But 2-3 years when he is ready? Probably not so thin. I find it hard to justify spending that kind of $$$ on someone that is that far away from the majors just because your depth is thin at this time. You do that through trades. And trade bait we do have. Add in the history of this FO to move position players around to better fit their needs and signing this guy just dosen't seem wise. I doubt they make a big push towards him. Probably more like a "See, we tried" type offer.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.