The Chicago Cubs rumors are still flying after their three big free agency pickups and the latest rumor is that star young outfielder Jorge Soler may not be traded during MLB offseason action.
Soler has seen his name come up in rumors all offseason long. Chicago has been very active and many expected to see the Cubs look to deal one of their talented young bats for another starting pitcher. Theo Epstein still would love to acquire another pitcher, but Soler might not be the player that they move to do so.
Last season was a bit of a disappointment for Soler. He didn't come through with the monster season that many were expecting to see from him after an impressive rookie year. Injuries slowed him down and forced him to miss a big chunk of time, but he came back late in the year with a bang and the postseason was huge for him.
During the 2015 season, Soler ended up compiling a .262 batting average to go along with 10 home runs and 47 RBI's. He took those numbers even higher in the postseason with a .474 batting average with three home runs and five RBI's.
At just 23 years old, it could end up being a huge mistake to trade Soler at this point in time.
Jason Heyward was signed in free agency this offseason to play center field, which gives Soler a perfect place alongside him at one of the corners. Chicago saw their young lineup boast tons of power and Soler didn't even hit like he is capable of. If he does get back on track and plays to his full potential, it will make for an even more dangerous lineup than expected right now.
Epstein talked about Soler recently in an interview and is obviously excited about what he is seeing from Soler.
"I just watched some videos of him training and he looks great. He is down to 225 and is working hard on his quickness and flexibility. He looks fantastic. This guy wants to play. He did not like that when he returned from his injury last year he wasn't playing every day. We loved the way he worked his way back into the lineup and took Adam Wainwright and Jacob deGrom deep. He is king of effortless in his ability to hit the ball deep into the stands."
Don't expect to see the Cubs trade Soler this offseason with this new information. Baez would make a lot more sense as a trade chip if the Cubs do decide to move a young player for pitching.
