After fleeing Cuba, Jorge Soler signed with the Chicago Cubs on June 11, 2012.
It was only a few weeks before new regulations controlling foreign signings went into effect that he signed his $30 million, nine-year contract, sparking a bidding war for the best international players available as amateur free agents.
Soler started out in the minor leagues in the United States, despite his massive contract.
Despite his lackluster performance at the 2010 World Junior Championship for Cuba, Soler was noticed by American scouts and signed to the team.
He only played for La Habana in Cuba’s top professional league, the Serie Nacional, for one month before he was suspended for trying to leave the country.
At the time of his defection in late 2011, he was only 19 years old and had no previous professional experience, although he was regarded as a top-5 pick in the amateur draft.
After becoming available to be signed by major league teams in a particularly favorable environment, he was aggressively pursued by a number of teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers before accepting the Cubs’ offer, which was reportedly worth $5 million more than any of the others on the table.
Despite Soler’s enormous potential, the signing was seen as riskier than that of a number of other Cubans who had already shown themselves in the Serie Nacional or on the national team.
How Old Is Jorge Soler?
Jorge Soler is 30 years old. He was born on February 25, 1992.