Cubs make it official, sign [Jorge] Soler to nine-year deal

Glenn Braggs was so powerful, he once snapped his bat off at the handle following through on a swing. The ex-outfielder for Milwaukee and Cincinnati had plenty of upper body strength, enough to make his bat-breaking abilities a reality instead of an urban legend.

In terms of body type, Braggs was the name Cubs manager Dale Sveum came up with when asked about Jorge Soler, who the Cubs officially signed to a nine-year deal on Saturday.

“You can probably go on and on about the body type and everything like that, like a Glenn Braggs-type,” Sveum said. “You see his body and the size and that kind of strength at a young age, it’s pretty impressive. Hopefully it all translates into a huge, productive player at this level.”

Soler is years away from the major leagues, and general manager Jed Hoyer wouldn’t even estimate when the 20-year-old will begin playing in games in the Cubs’ minor league system. Soler will begin his journey with the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz., as part of “his own version of spring training.” ...

“I won’t comp him out,” Hoyer said. “I think you’ll be really impressed when you see him physically. He’s a huge person, very big man. Right now, he moves really well. We’re going to start him out in right field. [He could] end up moving at some point ... because he is that big.”

a… $30 million contract… [Soler] will have the ability to opt out of his contract once he qualifies for arbitration, but he will remain under team control. If he opts out of the deal, his salary will be determined by the arbitration process. As a result, Soler may end up making considerably more than $30 million. Of course, the Cubs probably won’t be too upset if he pans out and performs well enough to justify the raise.