Teams that want to bid on free agent Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler need to have those offers made by June 7, according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Soler was recently declared eligible to negotiate with all 30 MLB organizations, but he must sign before July 2 in order to avoid being impacted by the new CBA rules regarding international free agents.
According to Levine's sources, the agency that represents the outfielder, Praver and Shapiro management group, has let teams know that all bids must be in by June 7. That will give Soler time to decide on his first big league organization without having the bidding see effects of the new CBA rules.
Levine says that the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and New York Yankees are expected to be heavy bidders on the 19-year-old slugger. The general expectation in the industry is that Soler will sign a contract worth around $25-35 million.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs' pursuit of Soler, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more from around the world of baseball, visit Baseball Nation.