Jorge Soler Update: Astros, Cubs Among Teams Waiting On Dominican Prospect

The Houston Astros are aiming for improvement any way they can get it after finishing as the worst team in the Major Leagues last season. Increasing their international scouting base is a good way to start, although it will take some time. However, if it reaps the benefits of prospects like Jorge Soler, that could be a great start.

New general manager Jeff Luhnow is hoping that the team is going to be able to sign Soler ahead of other competition like the Chicago Cubs. But it’s likely to take some time since there’s been no word on Soler for some time. Overall, signing Soler would be an initial step toward a long-term Dominican presence.

Zachary Levine writes, “The Astros are looking to step up their Latin American presence under new ownership and baseball operations management. Luhnow took a trip to the Dominican Republic before coming to Florida for spring training. He was able to scout several prospects from this year’s July 2 class and check out those already in the Astros’ system including some who would be Florida-bound for major league camp.”

“I’d say there are a lot of quality players that I wasn’t necessarily aware of that I found out more about once I got there,” Luhnow said. “We got a couple young arms that are throwing in the mid-to-high 90s that I hadn’t really heard of before. If these guys can harness their control a little bit, we’re talking about some definite prospects.”

Astros Could Pursue Jorge Soler If He Becomes A Free Agent

According to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, the Houston Astros could be one of the teams interested in signing 19-year-old outfielder Jorge Soler if he is able to become a free agent, which is pending his approval of his application for residency in the Dominican Republic. He quoted Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who said that the team is waiting on the sidelines to see what happens, which is the same thing every other team is doing.

"We've seen him several times, and we're keeping in touch with people that are working with him that are trying to get him the citizenship sorted out so he could become a free agent," Luhnow said. "When that happens, they have a process set out for teams, and we're going to be paying attention to that."

The last time the Astros spent money on a Latin American player was when they signed outfielder Arial Ovando with a $2.6 million bonus in 2010, which was a club record. Luhnow went on to say that his scouts are watching all the Latin American players in the upcoming class, including Cuban defectors, and the only question is who they would sign and for how much.

For more on the Astros, head to The Crawfish Boxes.