Cuban OF Jorge Soler officially a free agent

Last we heard of Soler rumors, the Cubs seemed to be the heaviest suitor, but the Blue Jays also reportedly worked him out. The Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Astros, Orioles, and a few others were mentioned over the winter at different points as having some level of interest. Many more teams will surely be involved in talks before a final contract is signed.

Soler, 20, is said to be a 6-foot-3, 205 pound right fielder, who could also play center, with “explosive bat speed and power potential,” according to Baseball America—which compared him to Royals prospect Bubba Starling and noted Soler may have been a top-five pick in last year’s draft. Baseball Prospectus noted in the preseason that Soler would have been the 39th-ranked prospect in baseball, had he been signed when the list was made.

So we have a raw, young talent on the market with a July 2nd deadline before the new, more strict CBA rules are in place on international signings limits. Expect bidding to commence immediately and a deal to be in place before July 2.

Thanks to Pepe.