CHICAGO — Jorge Soler has officially joined the Chicago Cubs, signing a nine-year, $30 million deal that could make the 20-year-old Cuban outfielder a major piece of the team’s future as it rebuilds under team president Theo Epstein.

“We think he provides a ton of potential power for us,” general manager Jed Hoyer said Saturday in announcing the deal. “We scouted him heavily. It’s obviously a significant commitment for us but we feel like he fits in very well with what we’re trying to do. He’s the right age, the right talent and we’re excited to finally get him started here.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Soler will start out in right field and will initially report to the team’s minor league facility in Mesa, Ariz., to work out and get ready for games. Hoyer couldn’t project how long it might take Soler to be ready for the majors.

“Let’s get him into games first. But he’s 20 years old and we’re really impressed with the looks we’ve got in games,” Hoyer said.