Cubs promote blue chips Soler, Almora

The Chicago Cubs took another step closer to their apparently bright future Tuesday, promoting two of baseball's Top 100 prospects.

Albert Almora, who ranks 14th overall and fourth among Cubs prospects, is on the move from Class A Advanced Daytona to Double-A Tennessee, while Chicago's No. 6 prospect Jorge Soler (40th overall) is headed from Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa.

Almora hit for the cycle last Monday and exits the Florida State League with a .283/.306/.406 slash line. In his final game with the Class A Advanced Cubs before the promotion, the 20-year-old center fielder homered and collected three RBIs.

The sixth overall pick of 2012, Almora will join a Smokies team that also features the 11th pick from his Draft class -- recently acquired shortstop prospect Addison Russell.

Soler, who signed a nine-year Major League deal with Chicago in 2012 after defecting from Cuba via Haiti, struggled through hamstring injuries early this year but has hit .415 through 22 Southern League games.

Soler has hit six home runs -- including two on July 13 -- nine doubles and a triple in his short Smokies stint. He collected 22 RBIs.

While on the mend at the Cubs' facilities in Arizona, Soler worked with Manny Ramirez, who is serving in a player/coach role with Triple-A Iowa. In addition to Ramirez, the right fielder will be reunited with top Chicago prospect Javier Baez along with No. 2 Kris Bryant.

Soler suffered a stress fracture and was limited to 55 Florida State League games in 2013, but he went on to bat .271 with a homer and 14 RBIs over 20 Arizona Fall League games.