Yulieski Gourriel Gets $47.5 Million from Houston Astros
HAVANA TIMES – Yulieski Gourriel, the most complete Cuban baseball player, has signed a $47.5 million dollar contract with the Houston Astros, reports baseballdecuba.com.
Gourriel, 32, abandoned the Cuban national team in February in the Dominican Republic in search of a Major League contract. He put on showcase workouts for a number of teams and finally settled for the Astros, currently with a 49-41 record in second place in the Western Division of the American League.
Born in Sancti Spiritus where he played for 12 seasons, Gourriel moved to Havana to play for Industriales during the last three seasons. In 2015 he hit a fantastic .500 with 15 homeruns and 51 RBIs in 49 games. His lifetime batting average in Cuba is .337 with 239 homeruns. He was a starter on Cuba’s World Baseball Classic teams in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
Gourriel will most likely start out in the minor leagues with hopes of reaching the Majors by August or September. He has played both third and second base during his career.
It’s interesting to see the Astro’s have bet $47.5 million on an older player. Most Cubans take a couple years to settle into the MLB, as the length & pace of the MLB season, as well as differences in style and skill, take some getting used to. At 32 years of age, Gourriel may have a hard time adjusting to the much more demanding MLB environment. I wish him well.