It has been seven years since the Cubs landed a player they thought would become a long-term linchpin. On June 11, 2012, they won the bidding for free-agent Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. At least a few teams bid upward of $20MM for Soler, who had just turned 20 a few months prior, but Chicago emerged victorious with a nine-year, $30MM offer. At the time, Soler was seen as a top 50 prospect in the sport.
The power-hitting Soler tore through the Cubs’ minor league system beginning the summer he signed and wound up debuting in Chicago two years later. When the Cubs promoted him late in the 2014 season, Soler was even more of a celebrated prospect. He justified the hype initially, slashing a strong .292/.330/.573 (148 wRC+) with five home runs in 97 plate appearances. Thanks to that run, Soler cemented himself as the Cubs’ everyday right fielder heading into 2015; however, his numbers took a dive that season, during which he hit .262/.324/.399 (95 wRC+) with 10 homers in 404 trips to the plate.
Despite his underwhelming output in 2015, Soler was once again in the Cubs’ season-opening lineup in ’16. The franchise ultimately won its first World Series in 108 years that season, but Soler didn’t play a huge role. While Soler turned in decent production in the regular campaign and the playoffs, injuries helped limit him to 264 PA during the season. After celebrating their championship that fall, the Cubs elected to part with Soler, deciding there was no longer a place for him in an outfield that also had Ben Zobrist, Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, Jon Jay and Matt Szczur in the fold.
On Dec. 7, 2016, just over a month after it won the World Series, Chicago traded Soler to the Royals for reliever Wade Davis. Although Davis only had another year of control left, the Cubs needed a replacement for departed closer Aroldis Chapman. That helped deem Soler expendable in the Cubs’ eyes, and though Davis lasted just one season in their uniform, they haven’t really missed Soler.
Since he joined the Royals in 2017, Soler has batted .234/.310/.450 (101 wRC+) and swatted 28 HRs in 633 attempts. Soler was particularly subpar during his first year in KC, in which he endured a lengthy minor league demotion, but bounced back in 2018 before suffering a season-ending left toe fracture in mid-June. In his return from that injury, Soler’s once again giving the Royals respectable offensive production this season, though his paltry .293 on-base percentage somewhat overshadows his 17 homers. The same is true of Soler’s defense (minus-7 DRS, minus-2.0 UZR), which has graded negatively for most of his time in the majors.
Considering how much excitement there was when Soler signed with the Cubs, the 27-year-old has posted a somewhat disappointing big league career. Soler may move on to a third team soon, given rumors that the non-contending Royals are open to trading just about anyone on their roster. Wherever he plays next season, it’ll be the final year of the contract Soler agreed to with the Cubs seven years ago.
Well that didn’t turn out well
The trading for Wade Davis part kind of did for the Cubs
Except Epstein screwed the team by letting Davis walk. Twice he traded for an elite closer for one season or less. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson, coming full circle with a multi-year contract for Kimbrel.
Full circle? I wasn’t aware that Kimbrel came up with the Cubs.
ChiSoxCity is new and doesn’t understand the concept of a rental.
It means Epstein finally settled on a somewhat longterm deal for a quality closer instead of trading away assets for rentals.
It didn’t work out, and emptied their farm system in the process.
Goat, the cubs could gave traded away their entire farm system for a controllable asset. They instead, chose to gift the Yankees their top prospects for 26 innings of work, then promptly sent him back to the Bronx. Sure, the cubs got a championship out of it, but it set the organization back. They should have locked Chapman up with a longterm deal… money well spent. Epstein is too thrifty with the things that matter most.
Chisoxcity, Chapman didn’t want to be a Cub! Hence why he signed with the Yankees!
If he’d resigned Davis you’d be making up some BS about how he’s a an idiot to have given a reliever that much money. Because all you do is make up nonsense to whine about.
Do us all a favor and stop pretending to be a baseball fan. We have enough space wasters on this site
Totally and utterly false. For a century, Cubs fans have complained they never had an owner, or front office that when given the chance at a WS, was willing to go all in. Epstein, with the Ricketts consent, puts together a multi year plan to do so, and when given a chance, does goes all in, and wins the World Series. Literally goes against decades of “normal” Cubs front office policy and it works. So how do some Cubs fans respond, and you aren’t one, by bashing the guy for doing so.
But then again, it is Chicago, where standard political policy is to always be a victim, or have something to complain about, so I’m not sure why I’m surprised.
Not a Cubs fan, but flags fly forever..
Just when I thought your comments can’t get any dumber, you go and say something like this… and totally redeem yourself!
Where did Chapman say he didn’t want to be a Cub? It’s not like the Yankees didn’t pay the market rate to bring him back.
Did it though?
He’s a fairly inexpensive player for the Royals. His salary is only 4.6 million and change until the end of next year. Just the kind of veteran they like.
Yeah but how bout that Eloy/Cease for QQQQQQ trade??
Gonna look awful for the cubs in a year or two.
Looking pretty awful already
Who knows. Certainly not you, Sox Boy
No, that trade is a huge wart. Even if Cease does nothing, Jimenez is a monster and can hit .275 40+ HR each year.
Q is a 3 or 4 and nothing more.
Quintana looks fine and the Cubs don’t really seem to have a need in the outfield or the rotation… So there’s no real regret from the Cubs side
Cubs didn’t have time to throw Eloy into action. White Sox haven’t been in a championship window and won’t be until next year. Cubs are in their window now. They could not afford to run out a -0.5 WAR player while needing to win games. Q has good underlying metrics, he just needs to minimize the mistake pitches. The trade was a win/win, although moreso for the sox, it will all be worth it if the cubs can cap it off with a championship
Why does my email show up as my username?
And why is it commenting twice?
Soler = Dayán Viciedo part 2
Truth!!!
Felix Pie
Bobby Hill
et al.
He just hit his 18th HR and it’s 6/15…
Theo is no longer the “Boy Genius” he was touted to be when he led the BoSox. The corps group of players responsible for the Cubs recent success, were already in place when Theo arrived. The Heyward contract, though Heyward is doing better this year, is a disaster in terms of dollars and years. maybe the Darvish contract turns out the same way. It’s trending in that direction. Brandon Morrow? A full season of ER couldn’t cover all his medical woes. Quintana has been decent, but the proverbial “next level” has eluded him on the North and South sides of town. Should have kept Tommy La Stella instead of signing Descalso (Perennial low BA hitter.). That’s all pretty bad and I haven’t even begun to type the letters that spell out C-H-A-T-W-O-O-D!!!!!!!!..
Theo has made plenty of mistakes as the Cubs GM. He also traded for Rizzo, traded for Arrieta and Strop, traded for Hendricks, drafted Bryant, signed Lester, etc. Do I think he is overrated as a GM? Probably. But if you want to criticize his mistakes, you can’t just ignore his successes.
I’d like to see a list of GM’s who haven’t made mistakes.
Considering just how many games the Cubs have actually won under Theo seems to speak volumes for how good he actually is at his job
Yeah he’s no longer the Boy Wonder because he’s now 45 yrs. old! How can you try to paint Theo as lucky or over-rated when the Cubs, not the Red Sox, not the Yankees, and not the Astros, have the major’s best winning percentage over the past 5 years? Lmao at your silly post.
“The corps group of players responsible for the Cubs recent success, were already in place when Theo arrived.”
No, only Contreras and Baez were in the system when Epstein joined the Cubs after the 2011 season.
And Contreras was pretty forgettable infielder that Theo’s development team decided to try at Catcher
And Javy was freshly drafted out of high school, so the lions share of credit for his development also goes to Theo and his staff
But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good rant?