There are red flags and then there are warning signs.
Prized Cubs prospect Jorge Soler was benched on Sunday because he failed to hustle during a game.
The Daytona Beach Journal reported that manager Dave Keller was sending a message to everyone on the team. Soler did not run hard during two at-bats on Saturday night. The newspaper quotes Keller as saying “(Soler)
sat (Sunday) because within the philosophy and the work ethic that we
are trying to create in this organization -- and that we are trying to
get our players to understand – work ethic, energy, determination,
playing hard and running hard is part of the whole program. When you don't do that, then you don't get to
play. That's something that has really been emphasized over the last
two years.”
This incident comes after Soler's five game suspension for an on-field incident where he charged another team's dugout with a baseball bat. At that time, the team said Soler was dealing "with emotional issues."
ESPN's Bruce Levine quipped that he was not sure if the Cubs had an opportunity to really know Soler since he played in Cuba. Levine stated that the Cubs signed Soler to a $30 million contract based upon private work-outs and not based on competitive game observations.
That raises a question on how diligent the Cubs scouting department was in checking out all aspects of a player, including his mental toughness to play a professional sport. A young man can have all the physical tools to become a great player, but if there are mental or emotional issues then a promising career can implode quickly (see, Carlos Zambrano.)
Soler is 21 years old. He has moved away from his home country. Those factors could be contributing to his apparent inability to focus on his profession at this starting point for his career. But there are many other prospects throughout the majors with similar factors who have not caused so much negative attention in such a short time.
Keller is right on one thing: the only way to get through to highly talented players who don't listen is to bench them. To take an athlete off the field of play is the only punishment that will connect to their mindset of playing every day.
It is the only thing available to Dale Sveum, but he has yet to pull the trigger to bench Starlin Castro or Anthony Rizzo for mistakes on the field. Castro continues to have mental lapses in the field. But Sveum is cornered; he has to play his young players because that is the only real draw this season.
Soler's issues and Gerardo Concepcion's disappearance should be a concern to Cubs fans. These Cubans were the first two big money international signees by Theo Epstein. The team invested $36 million on two players that have not set the baseball world on fire. With the Cubs finances heavily burdened by debt, spending wisely is a critical component for any future success.
