Dodgers lose out on Jorge Soler; he reportedly signs with Cubs

Hey, it was a nice thought, right? Maybe it really was a fixed game, but at least the Dodgers played.

Reports are now coming out that Cuban defector Jorge Soler has signed with the Chicago Cubs.

It’s been reported for months that Soler, a promising 20-year-old outfielder, had reached a private agreement with the Cubs, so maybe this whole free-agent bidding war thing really was a sham.

Still, the Cubs dropped some serious moola to close the deal, first reported by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman said the deal was for a stunning nine years and $30 million.

So perhaps the Dodgers do have great resources now, but they’re apparently not going to spend imprudently just for the sake of making a show. Maybe Soler proves the Cubs wise, but that is one serious gamble. The Cubs figure it will take him a couple of years to make the majors, so there’s that attempt at logic.

Heyman Tweeted there were three or four clubs offering more than $20 million, but the Dodgers apparently backed out of their pursuit Sunday night.

Said one baseball executive on Soler to ESPN’s Jayson Stark: “He’s got a lot of tools. But he hasn’t played a lot in strong international competition. Probably a high A-ball player right now.”

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