9:03 PM ET: The Marlins are not interested in Jorge Soler afterall, according to Marlins president David Samson (via Joe Frisaro). And Jeff Passan is being told the two teams pursuing Soler the hardest are the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies -- and notes that bidding could "get expensive":
- Twitter / @JeffPassan - "No surprise, but the two teams in hardest on Jorge Soler right now are the Yankees and Phillies, two sources say. This will get expensive."
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Twitter / @JoeFrisaro -
"Marlins president David Samson confirms on 790 The Ticket team has no interest in Soler"
5:03 PM ET: With Yoenis Cespedes headed to Oakland, the focus has shifted to 19-year-old prospect Jorge Soler. As we heard yesterday, the Cuban defector is generating lots of interest around the league. In fact, Ken Rosenthal writes that the interest in Soler appears broader than it was for Cespedes.
The most notable teams in the sweepstakes have been identified as the Cubs, Marlins, and Yankees, though other organizations (Red Sox, Phillies to name a few) have shown interest.
- Here comes Soler - Ken Rosenthal
Soler, a prospect, is drawing attention not only from clubs that lost out on Cespedes, most notably the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins, but also from teams such as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies — and many others. Scouts say that Soler, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-handed hitter, possesses power comparable to that of a player with a similar build, Marlins right fielder Mike Stanton. Soler does not run as well as Stanton, however, and ultimately could end up at first base. - Twitter / @JonHeymanCBS: #marlins one of many other ...
marlins one of many other teams in on phenom jorge soler, 19. its not just the #cubs, not by a long shot - Jorge Soler Rumors: Teams Showing Major Interest, Including Cubs and Yankees - MLB Daily Dish
Soler is considered an exceptional prospect with legitimate five-tool potential, with Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus recently saying that he'd rank 38th or 39th among all prospects in the sport once he agrees to a deal. Both the Cubs (Brett Jackson) and Yankees (Mason Williams) have impressive prospects in the outfield, but Soler has the kind of impact potential that's hard to come by. - Free Agent Rumors: Madson, Fielder, Jackson - MLB Daily Dish (Dec 30)
Bob Brookover from the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Phillies will not be bidding on Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and he also argues that Jorge Soler is too much of a risk to offer $20 million to as well.