Yeonis Cespedes is not the only Cuban outfielder making some noise this offseason. Fellow Cuban defector, Jorge Soler, is creating some buzz around the league as well. At 19, Jorge Soler won’t be ready to play at the Major League level as soon as Yeonis Cespedes will, but he will be cheaper and offers a similar upside. Scouts love Jorge Soler’s athletic 6’3″ ~220 lb frame, the bat speed he generates and his arm strength. I think the New York Yankees should be aggressive in their pursuit of Jorge Soler. I say this all the time, but he’s only going to cost money. With the new CBA making it tougher for the New York Yankees (and teams in general) to acquire top amateur talent, they need to make sure they are taking advantage of these opportunities. Jorge Soler would probably need to spend a season or two in the New York Yankees’ farm system before he was ready to attack Major League competition, but perhaps he could slide into the right field opening after 2012 (assuming Nick Swisher isn’t re-signed long-term). The New York Yankees could use some more impact offensive talent in the upper minors anyway. This will definitely be a development to keep an eye on.
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Completely agree. Soler is exactly the kind of player the Yankees shouldn’t be outbid for. He won’t cost nearly as much as Aroldis Chapman or Yoennis Cespedes, he’s young, athletic, and has at least as much upside as Cespedes does. Given that the Yankees have basically no high upside outfield prospects (never really bought into Slade) he’s makes perfect sense in all ways.
Exactly. Easy talent acquisition.