The Padres are in agreement with veteran first baseman Yuli Gurriel on a minor league deal. Francys Romero first reported that the sides were making progress on a contract. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Mato Sports Management client gets a non-roster invite to MLB camp and would secure a $1.25MM base salary if he cracks the big league roster. There’s an additional $1MM in performance bonuses.
It’s a solid landing spot for the former batting champ, who is going into his age-41 season. The Friars have an opening at designated hitter. Skipper Mike Shildt said last week that he intended to use Luis Arraez as his primary first baseman while keeping Jake Cronenworth at second base. That more or less leaves DH up for grabs. 24-year-old outfielder Tirso Ornelas would probably be the choice if San Diego opts for a player who is already on the 40-man roster.
They’ll probably go with a non-roster invitee, though, considering Ornelas has yet to reach the majors. Gurriel joins former White Sox first baseman Gavin Sheets in camp. Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez and utility infielder Mike Brosseau also landed camp invites from San Diego. Gurriel is the most accomplished of the group, though his production has dropped sharply over the past three seasons. He’s a two-time World Series champion from his seven-year run in Houston. Gurriel won a Gold Glove and the aforementioned batting title in 2021, which stands as his most recent productive season.
Gurriel stumbled to a .242/.288/.360 slash during his final year with the Astros. He posted similar production over 329 plate appearances for the Marlins in 2023. Gurriel barely played in the majors last year. He spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A with Atlanta before catching on with the Royals as a September call-up. The righty hitter turned in a .241/.338/.296 showing across 18 games with Kansas City. He appeared six more times in the playoffs, hitting .190 in 21 at-bats.
While Gurriel hasn’t produced against major league pitching in a decent amount of time, he had a strong year in Triple-A. He slashed .292/.378/.485 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts across 75 games for Atlanta’s top affiliate. He still has excellent pure contact skills.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, MLB free agents who sign minor league deals more than 10 days before Opening Day have three guaranteed opt-out opportunities: five days before Opening Day, May 1, and June 1. Gurriel qualifies, since he has six-plus years of MLB service time and finished last season on K.C.’s big league roster. He can head back to the open market at the end of camp if the Padres decide not to carry him on the Opening Day roster.
Padres versus Snakes adds a new element
Racist and washed – the perfect Padre.
Padres are racist? That’s a new one…..
Maybe he’s referring that whole ownership mess and accusations racism.
I’m not really up to date on my Yuli Gurriel lore, how is he racist?
@king floch. It’s because he picked a padre over a Ranger or a yankee.
@rex. No, it’s because he made racist gestures towards Asian people on live television. Then had to apologize for being racist.
Not that hard to google.
Ahhh just what I thought a nothing burger
@johnny
Tell that to Yu Darvish
Darvish said in 2017:
“No one is perfect,” Darvish said in 2017. “That includes both you and I. What he (did) today isn’t right, but I believe we should put our effort into learning rather than to accuse him. If we can take something from this, this is a giant step for mankind. Since we are living in such a wonderful world, let’s stay positive and move forward instead of focusing on anger. I’m counting on everyone’s big love.”
Darvish said this morning:
“I didn’t care,” Darvish said. “That is how guys joke in the clubhouse.”
“He has a family too,” Darvish said Tuesday. “I really wanted to not make a big deal for them.”
If Darvish said it’s alright then it’s cool? He offended fans and spectators as well. Darvish doesn’t speak for them. And just because it’s how people joke in the clubhouse, he wasn’t in the clubhouse. He was representing his team on the field in front of fans.
@johnny. Would it then be okay for me to make fun of how you look in your pfp if that is a picture of you?
Its pretty easy pickings.
@Pronk did I say that? Or are you just imagining I said or feel that? Does it make ok that you willingly mischaracterize a person? What a fork.
I posted that as a comment made by Darvish, it’s simply added information, no ulterior motive and not to be misinterpreted as my feelings.
You’re posting his comments in order to minimize the racism. You are implicitly excusing gurriel, you don’t have to say that. Why respond to the comments saying he made a racist remark with Yu’s comments unless you wanted to make a statement?
Are you 6 years old? Everything you presume is untrue and unmitigated bs from thou hindst der yer ars@
I thought the comments said something positive about Darvish. You obviously dwell within alternative realities established by an imaginative ecotone of storylands and no amount of reality can convince you otherwise
I’m not. Maybe take a step back and look at your comments. Then ask yourself why did you post Yu Darvish’s comments to the incident in response to people saying he made a racist remarks? What purpose could that serve other than to minimize the impact of gurriel’s actions?
Conor mcgregor recently called a fighter the n-word. If someone said that’s racist, and I responded with the “the person he called the n-word said that’s just how it goes with mma fighters”, wouldn’t that make it seem like im excusing the behavior?
You see where im coming from right dawg?
@brew88. You might’ve found fry ohtani’s new name.
Pronk, it’s clear you want to believe in the conspiracy stuck in your nog, but I can only say it’s not true how you’re attempting to twist the motives of my posting Yu’s comments.
Since you’re unencumbered by reality, I see no point in furthering the conversation.
While cheating against Darvish in the 2017 World Series Gurriel mocked him by making Asian eyes with his hands after homering (I think) off him, while saying “chinito” to his teammates.
espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/21197888/houston-astros-fi…
Thanks, lads.
I remember that now. What a dingus.
I’m willing to bet Yu laughed at it
Washed, sure, but why does eveything have to be about racism? I am convinced that a person’t acyual recist proclivities are directly proportional to how frequently they cite racism in their comment and posts.
I mean, there’s a pretty clearly documented example of him being racist. I think it’s unfair to hold that over him all these years later, but it’s not like these accusations are completely unfounded.
Racism doesn’t have an expiration date.
Yeah, but who people were at one moment in time, over 7 years ago, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s who they are today. Yuli apologized, was forgiven by Darvish, and served his suspension. What more do you want?
What Yuli did was gross, but people can change.
Getting caught and keeping a behavior off camera isn’t change. No one here can intelligently comment on if he’s changed or not so I’ll go with the known over the unknown.
What would be sufficient evidence to you that he’s changed?
Sufficient, substantial, and compelling evidence that this individual has turned the racism corner might include their volunteering to be a pro bono menial laborer for the poorest class of ethnicity to which he previously expressed overt disparagement.
Minimum of 6 weeks time. The longer the more persuasive.
Pleasantly, and with respectful courtesy, he must overtly throw himself into each task no matter how mundane, smelly, or beneath his perceived station.
Upon completion of this demonstration, we will reconvene here and adjudicate the status of this claimed change.
.
There wouldn’t be because I believe there are a lot of areas people can change and racism is the top of the list of things I don’t think people can change. If you’re so far down that rabbit hole to make that gesture knowing there’s cameras everywhere you don’t care about being caught. Apology was for being caught not the action. He won’t get caught again I’m sure but I don’t think he magically altered his feelings either.
Some of the more left leaners would say that was racist. Saying that bottom of the barrel labor is for them basically. I’m opposite of those people by the way. They’re just easy to predict.
I personally think a racist will always be racist. The “change” might be just being careful what you say out loud. Doesn’t mean the racism is gone. I don’t think there’s a racist rehab anywhere.
Yuli is on video being racist. While cheating to boot.
I agree accusations get thrown around too easily nowadays but in this case Yuli has proven his character or lack of.
Everything doesn’t have to be about racism, but racism is about racism. Just because there’s a lot of it doesn’t mean people can’t call it out.
Sure Jan. I mean this isn’t documented at all.
That was 8 years ago. Has he done anything wrong since?
Odd fit but i guess it’s nice to see Darvish has let bygones be bygones…
I doubt they involved Darvish in the decision making process; this is a disgrace and the first misstep by AJ Preller in a long while
I think Darvish accepted his apology ( which was soon after the incident if memory serves)
But we humans find it easier to judge and be done with it than think about the world with more context.
I respect Darvish for doing that. I myself haven’t and won’t ever forgive him for being both a racist and a cheater.
Now is it something that haunts my thoughts? Nope. But when he pops up, I think “oh yeah, he made a racist gesture while also cheating.”
Same for someone like Pete Rose. I love baseball, it’s the one sport I’ll never not love. Certain players who have proven to be s**tbags will just always be what they are to me, and I’m good with that.
@different Now it wasn’t the wisest move on his behalf obviously. But have you ever played sports from mid to late teens on? Talking smack and mocking is a constant across sports and often it is not mean to be degrading by definition of the words used. But more of just being derogatory, personal, unique, etc.
Yes it’s often childish, immature, and sometimes goes a to far. But passing judgement after those long for in game taunting is a bit overkill. Apology was made and it didn’t happen again.
Well he also cheated, so there’s that.
As did the Yankees and Red Sox to an unknown extent. And the way MLB seemed to wind down each instance leads me to believe it was becoming systemic at the time.
On top of that sign stealing itself wasn’t against the rules, it was the use of electronic devices capturing them and obviously the communication thereafter. But all and all sign stealing has been around since shortly after signs were introduced to the game, it was inevitable that teams were gonna try.
Seems like you are just dwelling here as well. The guy raked in Cuba then came here and did the same. But you seem hung up on the past. Do you even know to what extent his involvement was or are you just making an assumption??
People read too much into that stuff and label people forever as if they’re holier than thou. I bet the majority of the time, people do/say certain stuff because they know it’ll effect them and that’s their goal. The day it no longer does that, it’ll die out. But knowing you have that power means some will use it. It doesn’t mean they believe they’re inferior. At least not everytime like some people think. They know they’ll make heads explode and that’s their goal. Hon*** has no effect, for example. So it’s never even a big deal to anyone. Even though it’s probably said more often nowadays because it’s no big deal or allowed to, in this climate.
Did he apologize to everyone everywhere that he offended? He apologized to Darvish but I’m willing to bet there are many, many people who didn’t get apologies and wouldn’t forgive him outside of his co-worker.
#mab U could ve Google searched his name and apology faster than u could ve typed that response
Cool, always cool seeing guys hanging around past age 41. Too bad he is a month younger than me.
Your username makes you seem less than half that age!
Kidding of course (mostly).
Probably three years older. He’s able to keep up with minor league pitching at this point. Not major league.
This news isn’t worth mentioning. Slow news day I guess.
It’s absolutely worth reporting.
What a weird comment.
There have been a lot of posts today, so it’s not a slow news day. Also, it’s a guy who’s played nine seasons in the majors.
It was worth mentioning enough to get you to comment
9 seasons in MLB and over 10 years putting up huge #s in Cuba. Those #series obviously don’t translate to MLB as statistically equivalent, but he came into MLB with name recognition based off those Cuban stats.
How does Darvish feel about this?
Knowing everything I know about Yu, he’s absolutely fine with it. Not gunna lie though- it was my first thought, too!
Let’s see if Yu drills him during live BP ha ha.
(I’d love to see it).
I’m sure everybody would look away, too!
I’ve always been a huge Yuli fan. I’d love to see him make it, but I really think he’s toast
Even when he was cheating at baseball while also doing a racist gesture?
Dear God the lack of humanity athletes talking smack or making impolite gestures. What is the world coming to…
He apologized, talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill.
This is where I think the old guard in baseball hurts the sport. This would hardly be remembered by NFL, NBA, or NHL fans. Kevin Garnett called Charllie Villanueva a cancer patient cus of his alocapecia(might b spelled wrong). Which I found the cancer part a bit distasteful. But I still just dismissed as talking smack. I also found it more egregious of Charlie V for going to press over it. This is same dude who went in to get charges for beating a woman, but his feelings were hurt and he rats over sone words…
Point being it’s prevalent across sports. Maybe wasn’t in the best taste but no need to still have your panties in a bunch….
He’s been absolutely terrible for years (including against lefties) and he only plays 1B, so what is the upside here?
They couldn’t have gotten, like, Mark Canha for an extra few hundred K on a full Major League deal?
No risk here though. If Canha is given a full MLB deal they would be on the hook for $$ if he busted. Yuli – nothing. They don’t really need Canha.
If he looks good in ST and they roster him, they’re on the hook for his $1.25 million and he’ll probably go right back to sucking.
Canha at least looks like he might have something left in the tank and he can play some OF, unlike Gurriel.
If he looks good – if being the key to the trigger. Also, most likely the send him to AAA for a month to see – they don’t have a real opening for him.
As for Canha, his age makes him look a little more appealing which is natural. He has had a steady decline each year for a while and never had a high peak to begin with.
A less than 1.0 WAR guy is not a rush to sign. He will probably still be available in May even – or 10 guys like him.
Sounds like the type of deal that has a May 15 date for opting out if not on MLB roster.
If he is toast, he has made enough money that he probably doesn’t want to ride buses in AAA for the full year.
He rode the buses last year in AAA for 75 games on a similar contract.
I’d say he does for 6 weeks (if necessary) in 25 with a May 15 call up deadline but 75 is far from a full season even at AAA. The fact that he did it at age 41 may even mean he won’t at 42 because the 2nd time around is the give up year – not the first time.
“Hey bro, remember that time I cheated you out of a championship and tarnished your legacy as well as your earning potential…? My bad, bro. Wanna touch my silly hair, though? It’ll make up for it. Trust me, bro.”
While also being a racist POS?
And sporting a fresh herpes sore no less.
He can’t really play the field anymore (not that he was ever a defensive wizard), hasn’t hit a lick since 2021, and he’ll be 41 in June. Aside from those things, I can’t imagine what could go wrong. Something will have to go terribly awry, like Arraez, Rosario, Joe, Heyward all missing the season with ebola or something, for Gurriel to get meaningful playing time. I’m sure there are worse things to spend $1.25m on, but nobody outside of the USAID has ever found any.
He’s been a sub-replacement level guy for three seasons running, but I’m sure that he’ll be much better at age 41.
He’s hanging around at this point like a shower fart
Another thoroughly unlikable Padre. The perfect complement to Machado and Tatis Jr.
Darvish finally gonna get his revenge after practice
Such a bizarre decision by management.
Blatantly racist towards a team star? Check
Not good for many years? Check
Only really good while cheating? Check.
He was really good after the Astros were no longer cheating. Better than in his rookie 2017 season.
I agree about everything else though. Truly bizarre.
Meh on Yuli. I doubt he makes the roster. Hope not. Old as hell. If they must add a corner IF I prefer Brosseau or even Sheets, at least they have some pop.
Agree. Seems odd but clearly a no cost 100% flyer. He probably opts out first chance unless for some reason he is tearing up spring training.
Unless there are 4 or 5 injuries at major league level he won’t make the roster, but he is veteran depth in El Paso and that is always a good thing.
This signing is a tremendous waste of ink used on the contract. Was this the “bat” Preller was talking about? I sure hope not. What a dumb transaction.
What is dumb is complaining about minor league deals.
We will see what it is
Only good with a booming trash can. Now he’s a bum
His best seasons were 2019 and 2021. No trash cans. Hatred is a poison that only hurts you, not the subject of your hate.
Im a righty and he’s a racist. That working for you?
Ha ha. Too funny. Forget the racism then. How about we just go to town on an adult doing the Chinese eyes. I remember doing the Chinese eyes. I was 6.
Ha ha. I didn’t do any of that. I did do the Chinese eyes when I was 6. Cmon man. A 34 year old man doing something so juvenile in front of a worldwide audience is hilarious. The dude has earned every bit of online ridicule people can muster.
And when we’re on the politicians who are distasteful site your comment has merit but on a baseball site I’ll tend to stick to, you know, the baseball guys.
If we don’t call out every other person who did racist things (when they weren’t socially unacceptable in all those cases, btw) we’re hypocrites?
Ok, I’ll create a list in note so I can copy and paste it every time I say Yuli Gurriel sucks for doing a racist gesture while also cheating. In 2017.
Another depth move by Preller. Padres are deepest I have seen in years.
Oh great. Is Yuli the douchebag that replaced Profar the previous douchebag in a team full of douchebags?
Guessing you’re a Dodger fan, which entirely invalidates any comments you make about people being douchebags……..lol
@orbitt Written like a true douchebag aficionado!
We ordain you “your doucheness”!
Or if you prefer…. “Sir Douchealot”! <—This one I believe would best suit you and the majority of the LA Deferger fanbase.
Give it up dude, there is zero way Tatis is traded.
Especially when the other two players are
Both better on their own.
I sure am.
Using PEDs and getting suspended for a half year kills team chemistry even more.
Lol
This reminds me of a Nelson Cruz / Matt Carpenter type thing and that didn’t work out so well.
Except Carpenter was 37 coming off of a 2.3 WAR year, not 41 coming off of a 0.1 WAR year. So there’s less hope for productivity in this case
I agree with that but watching Cruz and Carpenter that season was painful
At least AJ yanged the yin with Solano, Higgy and Peralta last year. Hope we get some similar production from Joe, Heyward, Diaz, etc…and maybe someone from the minor league contracts surprises.
Darvish is going to poop in his dim sum
Wth? MLB Network said it was the Pirates!!! What is going on here???… who is correct?
Funny to see all the fake outrage in here about his “slant eyes” gesture 8 years ago. Guaranteed every single person who posted here about it to pretend to be righteous have made the gesture themselves in the past 5 years and have said something racist in the past week. Get over yourselves….
Yeah. Nah. No outrage. Just lots of chuckling to myself. Nothing racist in the last week. No Chinese eyes in the last 40 years or so.
Sorry to hear your parents locked you in a closet for all your life… oh well, point is you’re free now jk
Why in the world would they sign him. Even to a minor league deal. He is the same guy who made a rude and racist gesture to Yu Darvish back in 2017.
I’ve always wondered what made his 2019 season so special? All the sudden he pops 31 homeruns and never did it again.
Guess it’s because of that investigation where MLB was able to find “no wrong doing”
I agree, the 2019 juiced ball investigation felt a little too ‘sewn up’ when an MLB committee found that manufacturing variability was the sole cause of a league-wide, record shattering home run surge.
It had nothing to do with MLB taking an ownership stake in Rawlings (June 2018) or the years long proliferation of MLB approved CF cameras across the league, with no clubhouse oversight, that provided live feeds of opposing catchers signals to armies of personnel.
Nothing else to see here- case closed!
Yeah, I like your comment. Except I believe MLB took FULL ownership of Rawlings or at least the baseball making part. Also have you ever read the excerpts of their interviews of Carlos Beltran where he claimed Aaron Judge has cousins in the outfield stands at every home game with a pair of binoculars and one wears a neon green shirt and one wears a neon pink shirt. The one with the binoculars if he sees an offspeed pitch called he tells the one in pink and he stands up so Judge knows not to swing. That’s why his home/away splits were ridiculous before.
Also as a further note, it appears the cheating was actually a hinderence to him because as soon as it stopped and the league went to pitchcom he went off, proving that all the cheating was probably a distraction to many players.
It’s funny now that the fake outrage is subsiding, how many accounts of the league wide cheating have come out. Only two or three players back then admitted it wasn’t just the Astros, it was a league wide endemic.
Why not just sign Rizzo. 1b /dh and lefty bat. Would help imo.