This month, the Cubs continued their process of adding younger horses to the stable by acquiring a pair of highly-regarded amateur outfielders in first round pick Albert Almora and Cuban signee Jorge Soler. Both are electric talents, precisely the kinds of players that you want to see Theo Epstein adding to the organization's middling farm system.
But if you wonder which player the Cubs would've taken had both been available in this year's draft, Baseball America's Jim Callis believes that Chicago would've leaned towards Soler:
I think [Soler will] rank ahead of their first-rounder (Almora) when we compile our Cubs Top 30 Prospects list for the 2013 Prospect Handbook, so I believe Chicago would have drafted Soler sixth overall.
Obviously this doesn't really delve into the minds of key Cubs decision-makers like Epstein, Jason McLeod and Jed Hoyer, but it is a strong reflection on just how well-regarded these two players are. Callis is considered one of the absolute best prospect-oriented writers in the industry, so it's highly likely that other scouts and talent evaluators share his preference of Soler over Almora.
The slim difference between Soler and Almora also speaks greatly to the inequity provided to amateur players through MLB's draft rules. While both players are considered to be in a similar tier in terms of prospect status, Soler received a $30 million contract from the Cubs while MLB's recommended bonus for where Almora was selected in the draft is $3.25 million.
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