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Last I checked (April 16th) nothing going on with this guy... It's taking him forever to become a free agent, while Cespedes did it, in what seemed, a few weeks... The kid is younger and carries less baggage than an established star like Cespedes... What's the word on him and where do the Yanks stand on this front?

The Cubs were supposed to be high in the running as well...

Apr 27, 2012 -- 4:32PM, cookback wrote:

By the way, has anyone heard anything about Gardner ?

Been on the 15 day DL for about a week now.. I'm like you haven't heard anything else.. Pineda's getting all the coverage as of now...

Apr 27, 2012 -- 4:58PM, ArtVandelay wrote:

I never heard of this Soler guy - it has all the makings of a "Kei Igawa We Better Do Something" type of deal!!!

No.  Igawa was an ugly reaction to Boston getting DiceK.  They've been after this kid all winter. 

"Jorge Soler shows up in Nicaragua, get excited. Soler, the 18U team's right fielder, has a strapping 6-foot-3, 205-pound body, is 18 and has five-tool potential. The best running time scouts got for Balaguer was 4.4 seconds to first base; Soler, also a right-handed hitter, checked in at 4.26. Soler has bat speed and what one scout called "explosive power" to go with above-average arm strength."

A more reasonable international alternative?

Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 12, 2011

By now you’ve heard all about Yoenis Cespedes, the YouTube sensation who became a household name almost overnight because of his bizarre scouting video and intense internet hype. And of courses you know Yu Darvish, the Japanese starter that was posted last week and might be the best pitcher available this winter.

But Cespedes and Darvish aren’t the only international players who who could land high-dollar contracts this offseason.

Another Cuban outfielder, Jorge Soler, isn’t nearly as hyped as Cespedes, but he’s younger — only 19 years old — and could be an impact player in the future. According to Baseball America:

Six-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Soler has explosive bat speed and power potential. He also has plus speed and arm strength and profiles as a classic right fielder, though he runs well enough to play center. Because of his youth, he’ll need some time to develop, but he should be worth the wait.

Given the Yankees current outfield needs — with much greater need for an affordable bench player than a high-dollar starter — would Soler make sense as an offseason target? The Yankees system is fairly thin in the outfield corners, and Soler would certainly fill that hole with a potentially impact bat.

Given the new CBA international spending restrictions that come into play next year, Soler is a name worth knowing (even without the YouTube hype).

this would be a wise signing. the cupboard is bare on position player prospects, especially in the outfield other than williams. wouldn't it be nice to have a 2014 opening day lineup of: 

williams (Cf)

soler (RF)

cano (2B)

tex (1b)

arod/jeter (dh)

bichette (3B)

martin or other C

nunez (ss)

gardner (lf) 

this lineup has so much speed, but also power. and alot of youth. 

rotation 2014: 

cc

pineda

banuelos/betances

nova

hughes

this is a nice young team. with drob at closer and joba as set up. soriano gone. granderon traded for top chips.