After a long, silent stretch, and a big freaking scare yesterday (which I’m not convinced is unrelated to this news), multiple reports say 20-year-old Cuban outfield sensation Jorge Soler is officially a free agent now. Apparently he established residency in the Dominican Republic recently, and MLB has now cleared him to sign.
The Cubs, you’ll recall, are expected to be heavy bidders for Soler, and were once rumored to have a deal in excess of $20 million in place for him (which led to many denials and back pedaling (since, you know, he wasn’t a free agent yet)). Indeed, most sources would probably call them the favorite. Obviously this will be something to follow, and things could develop rapidly.
The new international signing restrictions don’t kick in until July 2, though, so he’s got plenty of time to sift offers.