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The Chicago Cubs have signed Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler to a nine-year, $30 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Joel Sherman of The New York Post was the first to report the signing.
I hear the #Cubs won out for Jorge Soler. #Yankees tried, but didn't get him.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 11, 2012
Heyman reports that at least "three or four teams," placed bids of at least $20 million for Soler.
It had been speculated by Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com that Soler’s contract would be for between $25 and $35 million. Heyman recently heard from an executive who thought the deal would fall in between $20 million and the $36 million contract Yoenis Cespedes received from the Oakland Athletics.
Buster Olney of ESPN reported this morning that while the New York Yankees were said to have placed a heavy bid for Soler, other teams still viewed the Cubs as favorites to land the 20-year-old.
In recent weeks, roughly half the league was tied to Soler, including the Cubs, Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.