July 2, 2014

SOLER FLARES

Oh brother.

Cubs President Theo Epstein said the organization is concerned about the two hamstring injuries top prospect Jorge Soler has had this season.

"We did a full-body assessment," Epstein said. "We tried to take a real close look in terms of his whole body anatomy and bio mechanically. We thought maybe there were some ways we could re-program his posture and muscle distribution on his body — posterior and anterior — to allow him to change the way his feet work and hit the ground.

"There are some small adjustments we can make to assure it won't happen again, it won't become a chronic thing. He has put in the work to have that happen and we're just kind of easing him back into full game mode and hope it continues to go well. It won't be too long before he's at (Double-A) Tennessee."

For those of you who believe that the front office kids are like little T-ball sluggers flaying away at the plate, this is another clue to support that belief.

Soler was THE best Cuban prospect when the Cubs signed him to $30 million contract. He was the Cubs best prospect at the time. It was a signal that this is how the new Cubs would roll.

You would think the organization would have focused on the development of Soler.

Now, several disappointing years into this situation, the Cubs come down to decision that body mechanics and gait is the key to turning Soler around?

Since 2012, Soler has only played 101 games in the minors. He has only played 12 games this year. He gets to AA, then falls back down to A/Rookie ball. Prospect scouts don't talk about him anymore.

Injuries and a mental break down or two on the field has not helped Soler. But the way the Cubs have gone about correcting the situation raises it own questions. Did Soler have an injury history in Cuba because we all assume his body mechanics have been the same throughout his life? Did the Cubs try to "change" his approach and if so, did that lead to injuries? Or did Soler start a new exercise routine that may have contributed to his problems?

But to say the Cubs need to "re-program" his posture and muscle distribution seems bizarre. It is so out there that people will not question this organizational excuse.  Soler is a player and not a crashed hard drive; you don't reboot a 22 year old at the snap of a finger.

The new Cubs have not yet developed their own impact major league player. Soler was supposed to be that guy. But at it stands right now, his ceiling appears to be at Class AA.