CONFIRMED: CUBS GET SOLER!!! 9yrs/30 mill

[MWV]

I can see why the Marlins would be uninterested in Soler. By the time he is ML ready they will be transitioning between blowing up the present team and extorting money from south florida to pay for the next.

[ctcf]

jesus christ john heyman is the worst

 

Is it just me or does he have the beadiest eyes of all time in his twitter picture? Just weird looking.

[Clem Fandango]

More boner softening

 

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Yankees and Phillies have been "hardest on" Jorge Soler.

The Blue Jays held a private workout with the 19-year-old outfielder on Wednesday in the Dominican Republic and the Orioles are expected to meet with him sometime this weekend. The Cubs, Red Sox and White Sox have also been linked. Soler isn't likely to top the $36 million contract that Yoenis Cespedes drew earlier this week from the A's, but with so many big-budget teams expressing interest the fellow Cuban defector might come close. As Passan writes, "this will get expensive."

[ctcf]

So with the Phils and Yanks in the mix, how many people would endorse the "dumptrucks filled with cash" approach here?

[davell]

I think we already have a deal in place honestly. We may have to tweak it some, because numbers leaked out, but I think we'll get him. I think we signed Balaguert, Martinez, and Concepcion, who I read somewhere were all buddies of his, to help get this done. I don't see him anywhere else and the fact these reports are coming out only helps us, so we don't get in any trouble with MLB or the OFAC. Edited February 16, 2012 by davell

[UMFan83]

I think we already have a deal in place honestly. We may have to tweak it some, because numbers leaked out, but I think we'll get him.

 

That has been my impression this entire time as well. It's funny how all the sudden the Cubs have dropped off in terms of teams that are said to be going hard after Soler.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

FWIW, here are the last 2 posts from the Cubs insider on the PSD forum:

 

Soler has not agreed, hand shake or otherwise, to a contract with the Cubs. Believe or don't but that's what I've been told by someone who most definitely is in the know as far as this situation is concerned.

 

He's definitely the top priority right now and to my knowledge no one has offered a better financial package to him but this notion that he is a Cubs in waiting is just incorrect. All that said, gun-to-my-head prediction would have him ending up with the team...

[b_wiggy_66]

All of the talk of these other teams getting in on the action is making me doubt our chances a little more now. I do think that signing Concepcion, who is reportedly one of Soler's closest friends, could end up being a big help for us....at least I really hope. :beg:

[TruffleShuffle]

while we're kicking the marlins, let's also kick that tribune guy in his dave van dyck

[b_wiggy_66]

while we're kicking the marlins, let's also kick that tribune guy in his dave van dyck

 

I see what you did there....

[Guest]

More boner softening

 

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Yankees and Phillies have been "hardest on" Jorge Soler.

The Blue Jays held a private workout with the 19-year-old outfielder on Wednesday in the Dominican Republic and the Orioles are expected to meet with him sometime this weekend. The Cubs, Red Sox and White Sox have also been linked. Soler isn't likely to top the $36 million contract that Yoenis Cespedes drew earlier this week from the A's, but with so many big-budget teams expressing interest the fellow Cuban defector might come close. As Passan writes, "this will get expensive."

 

I almost feel like Ben Badler is specifically talking about this rumor from Passan:

 

@BenBadler Lots of teams being reported in rumors about Jorge Soler. One won't go near those prices, another doesn't like him at all.

[davell]

I thought the same thing when I saw the Badler tweet. As a refresher, by the way, for guys seeing the PSD references........It's Marlin Bystro that's money. He's definitely someone you can take to the bank when he says something. ABTY is an excellent poster, who probably hasn't ever broken a story. He probably has some sort of Royals scouting contacts, but his posts, while possibly helpful, certainly don't carry the same weight as Marlin's do. Who has been extremely quiet for a month or so.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

That has been my impression this entire time as well. It's funny how all the sudden the Cubs have dropped off in terms of teams that are said to be going hard after Soler.

 

Yeah but Yankees....

 

Agreed that this is probably done and it's all just formalities, but the window is still open while it's not official.

[Tedward]

The latest on the Yanks pursuit from George King of the NY Post....

 

TAMPA — The agent for Cuban defector Jorge Soler insists there is no deal done for his client despite industry sources claiming the Cubs and 19-year-old outfielder have agreed to a $27.5 million deal.

 

“As for having a deal in place, there is no such thing,’’ Bart Hernandez said yesterday.

 

The Yankees have an interest in Soler, but not at that price. The Phillies were interested early, but that decreased as the dollars increased.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

The latest on the Yanks pursuit from George King of the NY Post....

 

TAMPA — The agent for Cuban defector Jorge Soler insists there is no deal done for his client despite industry sources claiming the Cubs and 19-year-old outfielder have agreed to a $27.5 million deal.

 

“As for having a deal in place, there is no such thing,’’ Bart Hernandez said yesterday.

The Yankees have an interest in Soler, but not at that price. The Phillies were interested early, but that decreased as the dollars increased.

Hopefully that statement is a well-crafted "non-denial denial," to so speak.

[ctcf]

Glad to hear the Yankees/Phils talk was apparently overblown.

[Derwood]

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians have worked out Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler "several times" at their Dominican academy.

The Blue Jays worked him out on Wednesday and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported recently that the Yankees and Phillies have been "in hardest" on the powerful 19-year-old. It's hard to decipher which teams are really going to be willing to buck up, but Soler clearly has several different suitors. And he seems likely to score a contract in the five- to six-year range.

[nolanwood]

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians have worked out Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler "several times" at their Dominican academy.

The Blue Jays worked him out on Wednesday and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported recently that the Yankees and Phillies have been "in hardest" on the powerful 19-year-old. It's hard to decipher which teams are really going to be willing to buck up, but Soler clearly has several different suitors. And he seems likely to score a contract in the five- to six-year range.

 

So...we have gone from having a deal in place, to not even being mentioned? :banghead:

[Post Count Padder]

I went away for a few days and expected to come back to more euphoria. This blows.

[Derwood]

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed Thursday that his team has interest in outfielder Jorge Soler.

"Our scouts have seen him and we like him," Amaro told reporter Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It may come down to where he wants to play and, of course, the money." Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that the Phillies and Yankees are "in hardest" on Soler, a 19-year-old Cuban defector. The Blue Jays and Indians have also worked him out recently.

[Banedon]

FWIW, here are the last 2 posts from the Cubs insider on the PSD forum:

 

Soler has not agreed, hand shake or otherwise, to a contract with the Cubs. Believe or don't but that's what I've been told by someone who most definitely is in the know as far as this situation is concerned.

 

He's definitely the top priority right now and to my knowledge no one has offered a better financial package to him but this notion that he is a Cubs in waiting is just incorrect. All that said, gun-to-my-head prediction would have him ending up with the team...

 

I thought nobody was allowed to sign him yet? Are they allowed to offer financial packages?

[davell]

Ben Badler was asked by a Phils fan if they signed Soler, would he be their top prospect? He said he would, then said, "don't get your hopes up". I think we're covering this up as well as we possibly can basically.

[seanimal]

i hope you're right

[davell]

Goldstein was asked what the square route of Soler's eventual signing bonus is and he said somewhere between 5000 and 5500. I have little doubt we've gotten some sort of agreement with Soler, but I am worried we could lose him because it's possibly been done illegally, on some level. I hope it all gets swept underneath the rug somehow.

[MWV]

As long as nothing is signed, I don't see how the Cubs can be found at fault. Talking with Barry Praver isn't a crime.

This isn't at all like Baltimore's situation vis a vis Seong-Min Kim.