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Lourdes Gourriel

Latest On Yulieski Gurriel, Astros

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The Astros’ signing of Serie Nacional superstar Yulieski Gurriel became official today. Here’s the latest on what the signing means, with most of the details emerging from a Saturday press conference at Minute Maid Park.

  • The Astros also plan to pursue Yulieski’s 22-year-old brother Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. Lourdes and Yulieski defected from Cuba together earlier this year. Lourdes, unlike Yuliesky, is currently subject to rules regarding international bonus pools (although he’ll be exempt starting in October) and will likely command a very large bonus to sign — he’s regarded as a top prospect.
  • The Astros acknowledge that, with all their infield talent, Yulieski isn’t the easiest fit for them, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal explains (all Twitter links). They do not intend to trade top prospect Alex Bregman, however. Instead, they plan to use their DH spot to create opportunities for both Gurriel and Bregman, with Evan Gattis and A.J. Reed likely to lose playing time as a result. The Astros could potentially use Gurriel and Bregman at a variety of infield positions, with Bregman also potentially seeing time in the outfield.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says Gurriel could also play the outfield, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). The team has had Gurriel work out in the outfield and feels he has athleticism and a plus arm. The Astros’ aim has simply been to acquire as many good hitters as possible and allow defensive alignments to fall where they may.
  • The Astros will send Gurriel to their Florida complex, then perhaps to Double-A Corpus Christi, Jake Kaplan of the Chronicle tweets. Via Berman, though (on Twitter), the Astros do hope to have Gurriel in the big leagues later this season.

International Notes: Gurriels, Gutierrez, KBO

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Cuban brothers Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., who defected last month and are in the process of being cleared for MLB free agency, will be represented by the Wasserman Media Group, reports Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Yulieski, the older of the two, is believed by many to be the top player in Cuba and will be exempt from international spending limitations due to his age (31) and professional experience. While the fact that he’ll turn 32 this June will limit his earning capacity when he is eventually declared a free agent, Yulieski still figures to command a sizable multi-year deal on the open market. Lourdes, on the other hand, is subject to international bonus pools, though he could very well command a pool-shattering bonus despite the fact that he’ll probably begin this next step of his career in the minors. There’s been talk that the two brothers could come as a package deal in free agency, though that’s obviously preliminary, and a number of factors will ultimately influence where each infielder signs.

A couple of other international notes…

  • Cuban right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez will host a showcase for interested clubs on March 17 in Kissimmee, Fla., reports Baseball America’s Ben Badler (also via Twitter). The 20-year-old is subject to international spending pools but is one of the more promising young arms on the market and, unlike the brothers Gurriel, is free to sign with a club right now. Of course, Gutierrez could elect to wait to sign until after July 2, as there are probably teams that have interest right now but would be penalized for signing him and exceeding their bonus pools. Gutierrez reportedly switched representation recently and is now a client of the Legacy Agency.
  • MLBPA executive director Tony Clark recently implied to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (links to Twitter), that Major League Baseball could look to alter the posting system with the Korea Baseball Organization to more closely resemble the recently reworked posting system with Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. “We’re aware of considerations being discussed even as we speak that would be more reflective of that (Japanese) system,” said Clark. As it stands right now, when a KBO team posts a player for Major League teams, all 30 MLB clubs have the option of submitting a blind bid, and the team that submits the top bid is awarded exclusive negotiation rights with that player. The Japanese system used to work that way as well but was updated so that NPB clubs now set a release fee of up to $20MM, and any club willing to meet the release fee is then able to negotiate with the player in question.

AL East Notes: Bautista, Gurriels, Bruce, Snell

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Blue Jays president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro spoke with the media for the first time since reports of Jose Bautista’s staggering asking price of move than five years and $150MM, and downplayed the story to some extent, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet writes. “Every spring training there are contractual situations that come up,” said Shapiro. “You manage them as effectively as possible, always maintaining the focus on what we’re out here to do as a team, and to win a championship.” Shapiro went on to explain that any comments he would have regarding Bautista’s contract would be made directly to Bautista himself or to Bautista’s representation. “For me, respecting the process and the player means you don’t comment on any of those things publicly,” the longtime executive continued. As Shapiro notes, difficult decisions on franchise players nearing the expiration of their contract aren’t exactly uncharted waters for him. In his time at the helm for the Indians, Shapiro dealt with similar situations with franchise legends like Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel, he points out.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • The Red Sox will likely take a pass on Cuban brothers Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., reports Sean McAdam of CSN New England. The Red Sox, of course, are barred from signing the younger Gurriel, Lourdes Jr., for more than $300K after shattering their bonus pool on Yoan Moncada last offseason, but even in the absence of spending restrictions, McAdam’s source indicates that Boston wouldn’t be much of a player. The Sox have expensive veterans in the infield (Dustin Pedroia and Pablo Sandoval) plus a large array of controllable talent at shortstop (Xander Bogaerts) and in the outfield (Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley and the well-compensated but unproven Rusney Castillo). As such, the team doesn’t have much room on the roster for any sort of additions in the short- or long-term at the brothers’ respective positions.
  • Dexter Fowler’s late demand of an opt-out clause from the Orioles and his subsequent decision to sign a one-year deal with the Cubs could end up being a break for the Reds, tweets Jon Heyman, as Baltimore’s focus could turn back to Jay Bruce, whose trade to the Blue Jays recently fell through due to one of the other players involved in the would-be swap.
  • How would an extension work between Blake Snell – a player without service time – and the Rays?  Craig Edwards of Fangraphs looked at the different possibilities.
  • On Thursday, Orioles exec Dan Duquette and agent Casey Close both commented on the Fowler situation.

International Notes: Gurriels, Lazarito, Manfred, Dodgers

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The Gurriel brothers’ defection from Cuba surprised many pundits, though as Baseball America’s Ben Badler writes, there had been hints over the last year that something was afoot with the duo, particularly Yulieski Gurriel.  The elder brother hasn’t always been known for playing hard, but Yulieski had been noticeably hustling more over the past year, perhaps in a deliberate effort to correct this perception in the eyes of MLB scouts.  Yulieski also passed on a lucrative offer to play in Japan for the rather curious reason of wanting to rehab a hamstring injury, which raised some eyebrows.  Badler notes that in the wake of the Gurriels’ departure, the Dominican government is cracking down on Cuban players in the country, with a couple of prospects already sent back to Cuba and others leaving the Dominican to establish residency in the Bahamas.  Cubans still remaining in the Dominican Republic are now playing on well-maintained but secretive baseball diamonds, just adding to the overall clandestine atmosphere.

Here’s more recent news from around the international market…

  • The shocking circumstances behind Charles Hairston and Agency39 dropping their representation of Lazaro “Lazarito” Armenteros is still the talk of the international scouting world, and Hairston shared more details with MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.  The mysterious “buscon” (or “investor” as he’s known in Sanchez’s piece) allegedly threatened Hairston ten days ago,  and had also been working behind Agency39’s back to negotiate with teams and other agencies to arrange new representation for Armenteros.  Agency39 was still working on Lazarito’s behalf as late as noon yesterday.
  • Commissioner Rob Manfred reiterated his support for an international talent draft when speaking to reporters (including Jesse Sanchez) on Monday, indicating that changes to the international system will be a significant topic in upcoming collective bargaining negotiations with the players’ union.  These talks will be particularly interesting since the desire for altering international signing rules may vary greatly from team to team.  “If you ask the teams that have been able to spend internationally, they would be happy with how [the system] is,” Athletics GM David Forst said. “There are also some teams that feel you lose some of the scouting side of it if you have the [international draft].  You lose the ability to unearth players.  But with the information that is out there, I’m not sure that happens.”
  • Twenty-five teams attended a showcase yesterday for Cuban outfielder Yadiel Hernandez and infielders Yanio Perez and Alejandro Rivero, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets.  Hernandez, who defected last summer, is the most highly-regarded of the trio and is old enough (28) to not be subject to the international pool limits.
  • The Dodgers have spent over $200MM on nine Cuban players over the last four years, a major investment that Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register notes that thus far yielded relatively little return.  Yasiel Puig has delivered both all-world talent and controversy in his time with the team and Hector Olivera was flipped to the Braves, while Erisbel Arruebarrena and Alex Guerrero are now afterthoughts.  “I think like any part of the talent universe there’s going to be mixed results,” said senior baseball operations VP Josh Byrnes, who also noted that the Dodgers’ big investment is still less than it would’ve cost for a similar outlay on free agent talent.  The club obviously still expects much from highly-regarded prospects still in the system, including the recently-signed Yaisel Sierra.

Latest On Gurriel Brothers

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The current location of major Cuban ballplayers Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel is still unknown after their recent defection, but they tell MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez that they are training in secret in preparation for a move to a big league organization. As Sanchez notes, such an “underground” approach is not uncommon for players seeking to complete their journey away from Cuba.

There are many obstacles still left for the brothers to navigate, of course, but their intentions are not in doubt. “I know there are a lot of people who worried about us,” said Yulieski, “but we are working hard and training every day to accomplish our dreams to play in the Major Leagues.”

Notably, the pair does have hopes of signing as a package, which is certainly an intriguing possibility. “We would like to play together on the same team, have my brother near me,” Yulieski tells Sanchez. “But if the circumstances don’t permit it and we have to go different paths, that’s what we will do.”

As that quote hints, there very well could be a variety of practicalities that make a common team unlikely. For one thing, the elder Yulieski would likely do well to sign shortly after reaching eligibility, both to increase his value as a near-term contributor and to speed his ascent to the majors. But his younger sibling would need to wait until he turns 23 — and thereby sheds bonus pool limitations — to maximize his earnings.

Needless to say, it also isn’t clear whether the same teams that will be most interested in adding a veteran third baseman will also be best-positioned to make a more future-looking investment in Lourdes. Of course, as Dave Cameron of Fangraphs has recently suggested, the package concept could also provide some wiggle room for navigating MLB’s rules.

One important question is whether Yulieski has, as reported, achieved Panamanian residency. He declined to address that matter with Sanchez, but did say that he hopes to join a major league organization “this year” and has intentions “to play as soon as possible.” Notably, Panama’s top immigration officer has denied that Yulieski has current residency, per this Spanish-language link to La Prensa.

AL Central Notes: Sano, Indians, Gurriel, Tigers

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On this day in 2005, the Twins signed Johan Santana to a four-year, $39.75MM extension in the wake of the southpaw’s Cy Young Award season.  The deal not only gave the small-market Twins some cost certainty through Santana’s arbitration seasons and his first free agent year, it also proved to be a nice bargain as Santana put up sterling numbers from 2005-07 (including another Cy Young in 2006).  He didn’t finish out that deal in a Twins uniform, however, as Santana was traded to the Mets in February 2008.  Here’s the latest from around the AL Central…

  • The Twins’ signing of Miguel Sano is chronicled by Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a transaction that the team hopes will not only help the Major League roster if and when Sano becomes a star slugger, but one that also cemented the Twins as players on the international market.  Minnesota encountered several obstacles in its pursuit of Sano, including a lengthy investigation into his age and the team’s willingness to go beyond its international spending comfort zone to land a prospect that seemingly everyone in the Twins organization believed was an elite talent.
  • The Indians have scouted Yulieski and Lourdes Gurriel and will check in on the two Cuban stars, though Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn’t think the Tribe has the money it will take to land either player.  Hoynes also addressed several other Tribe-related topics as part of this mailbag piece.
  • The Tigers like drafting hard-throwing college pitchers, yet as ESPN’s Keith Law tells George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press, nobody who fits that description is likely to be available when the club makes the ninth overall pick in June.  Law suggests that the Tigers could opt for a high school pitcher instead (such as Forrest Whitley or Greg Veliz) or they could possibly go for position player talent instead with Puerto Rican shortstop Delvin Perez.

Gurriel Brothers Reportedly Defect From Cuba

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Yulieski Gurriel and his brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., each defected from Cuba while the Cuban National Team was in the Dominican Republic this past weekend, Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald first reported. Sources tell MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez the same — the brothers are “believed” to have defected from Cuba.Each will seek a contract with a Major League team, placing two of the most highly regarded international players on the planet in the mix for MLB clubs to pursue.

Yulieski, 31, was ranked by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as the No. 1 player remaining in Cuba. The third baseman is a career .333/.414/.577 hitter as a professional and has enjoyed success in both Cuba and, recently, Japan. The elder of the two brothers that defected (the oldest Gurriel brother, Yunieski Gurriel, apparently did not join his younger siblings) was recently allowed to play in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he batted .305/.349/.536 with 11 homers in 62 games for the Yokohama Bay Stars. Thus far in the 2015-16 Cuban season, Yulieski was batting a ludicrous .535/.604/1.012 with 10 homers in 106 plate appearances across 23 games.

Badler has previously praised Yulieski for his plus bat speed and plus raw power to all fields, drawing comparisons to David Wright and Hanley Ramirez from Badler last spring (prior to Ramirez’s poor debut season in Boston). He’s said to be an above-average defender at third base, where he’s best suited, but also capable of handling second base adequately. Previously, Yulieski has spoken to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez about his desire to play in the Major Leagues, but only if he were permitted to do so legally by the Cuban government. With today’s news, that line of thinking has seemingly changed.

Because of his age and extensive professional experience, Yulieski would be free to sign with any club for any amount once he is declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. While the fact that he turns 32 years old in June places him at a disadvantage (from an earning power standpoint) as compared to the likes of Jose Abreu, Yasmany Tomas and Rusney Castillo (each of whom was in his mid-20s upon signing), Yulieski would still seem poised to command a significant Major League deal. It’s also worth noting that Hector Olivera received a $62.5MM guarantee despite being just 15 months younger than Yulieski, and while that contract looks perhaps questionable in hindsight, it does serve to illustrate that age should not stand in the way of a notable payday.

As for Lourdes, he’s still 22 years old and won’t turn 23 until October. If he signs before his 23rd birthday, Lourdes would be subject to international bonus pools. While the exact timing of his free agency isn’t 100 percent clear — we don’t know when the league will clear him — that limitation does place some restrictions on where he could sign. If he’s declared a free agent within the current signing period, Lourdes wouldn’t be able to sign with the D-backs, Angels, Rays, Red Sox or Yankees. Should he sign after July 2, the Dodgers, Royals, Giants, Cubs and Blue Jays would join that list of restricted teams, as each has exceeded its 2015-16 spending pool. Were he to wait until after Oct. 19 to sign, Lourdes would be free to sign with any club for any amount, as his age would then meet the minimum requirements for bonus pool exemption. Given the length of time it’ll take for him to be declared a free agent in the first place, Lourdes may only have to wait a few months to be exempt from bonus pools, making it seem highly likely that he’ll ultimately go that route; the difference in his amateur signing bonus and a Major League contract could easily be an eight-figure sum.

Lourdes isn’t as accomplished as his 31-year-old brother, but he’s hit well to this point in his Cuban career, batting .269/.355/.414 in 1036 Serie Nacional plate appearances. His numbers have trended significantly upward in recent seasons, though (.854 OPS in the 2014-15 season, .924 OPS in 183 2015-16 PAs). Badler most recently labeled him an eventual 20-homer threat with good strike zone knowledge, adding that from a defensive standpoint, he might be best suited to play third base in the long run, though he’s been playing shortstop regularly for the past couple of seasons. Lourdes has experience at third base, second base and in left field, however, and it seems reasonable that different teams could have varying opinions on his proficiency at each position. Presumably, a club believing that Lourdes is capable of handling shortstop, even on a short-term basis, would prefer to play him there as long as possible, though Badler notes that his range is already a bit fringy there and could worsen as his frame fills out.

Both players, of course, will need to establish residency in a new country and be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball before clubs can officially pursue them. The amount of time it takes for those steps to occur varies on a case-by-case basis, so attempting to pin down a specific time at which they’ll be able to sign, at this juncture, would be mostly guesswork.

International Notes: Gurriel, Oh, Cardinals, Matsuda, Otani

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Here’s the latest player news from abroad…

  • A recent goodwill trip to Cuba from several Major League stars was “the greatest experience of my life,” Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tells MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.  Gurriel, possibly the top Cuban prospect still in the country and the latest member of Cuban baseball’s most iconic family, was honored to meet such stars as Miguel Cabrera (“my hero,” Gurriel said) and Clayton Kershaw.  He also received an informative pep talk from Jon Jay about what’s expected to play in the big leagues, and “hearing those words from a Major League player is something that will stay with me forever,” Gurriel said.  The youngest Gurriel and his older brother Yuliesky — considered by many as the best player in the Serie Nacional — have both drawn lots of attention from MLB scouts but Lourdes Jr. insists that they will only leave Cuba with the government’s permission.  (Note: the brothers are reportedly now going by ’Gurriel’ rather than the more commonly-known ’Gourriel’ spelling that the family has used for decades.)
  • The Cardinals’ signing of Seung-hwan Oh marks what the club hopes is the beginning of a strong pipeline of Asian talent, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes.  In a three-part series (all links here), Langosch details how the Cards have developed their process for scouting Asian players essentially from scratch over the last decade.  The piece also includes the news that St. Louis had interest in Nobuhiro Matsuda as a utility infielder earlier this winter before the team instead traded for Jedd Gyorko.
  • The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters are holding their spring camp in Arizona at the Padres’ Spring Training facility, giving North American scouts a first-hand look at right-hander Shohei Otani, Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell writes.  Otani is only 21 but he was attracting interest from MLB scouts even out of high school before deciding to begin his pro career in Japan.  Otani owns a 101-mph fastball and has a 2.72 ERA and 421 strikeouts (against 136 walks) over his first 377 2/3 career innings, and he also has a .729 OPS in 557 PA as a part-time outfielder.

Prospect Notes: Dodgers, Cuba, Reed

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The Dodgers’ Triple-A squad made a remarkable 334 transactions last season with 84 different players appearing in a game, writes Bill Plunkett of Baseball America. Director of player development Gabe Kapler implied that the big league club will continue to make frequent use of their minor league rosters as a way to shuffle depth around. Such a strategy can be particularly useful with back-of-the-roster pitching like spot starters and over-taxed young relievers.

  • Cuba’s Ciego De Avila club will represent the island nation in the upcoming Caribbean Series, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. The tournament begins on February 1. International tournaments are a commonly used opportunity to defect and join the majors. The most notable players in attendance will be Yulieski Gourriel, his young brother Lourdes Gourriel, and Alfredo Despaigne. Badler calls Yulieski, 31, the top player in Cuba, citing a .494/.586/.861 line in 215 plate appearances. Lourdes better fits the role of prospect – he’s 22 with a .340/.400/.561 slash. Badler calls him one of Cuba’s top five players. Despaigne is the best Cuban slugger. He hit .258/.352/.462 in 409 plate appearances last season for Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines. While those are the biggest names to watch, there’s no telling which, if any, players will defect.
  • MLB.com’s Jim Callis has unveiled his first base prospect rankings with the Astros’ A.J. Reed taking the top spot. Reed’s excellent first full season included some truly gaudy stats – 34 home runs, 113 runs, and 127 RBI. Callis notes that he still has to prove he can hit advanced left-handed pitching. Pirates prospect Josh Bell and Mets first baseman Dominic Smith are next up in Callis’ Top 10.

Amateur Notes: Gourriel Brothers, Martinez, Draft

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We’ve had a lot of news of players leaving Cuba of late, but two of the country’s most prominent names — brothers Yulieski and Lourdes Gourriel, rated first and fourth among the island’s players as big league prospects — have thus far not made any public moves towards the big leagues. As Ben Badler of Baseball America explains, however, both players are now set to miss the Cuban national team’s upcoming appearance in the Pan American Games. The younger of the two, Lourdes, was surprisingly left off the original roster, while Yulieski (the country’s biggest star) is said to have taken himself out of the tournament — after both recently seemed to have passed on chances to earn significant money playing in Japan. For now, it’s entirely unclear whether there is any movement afoot for the brothers to come stateside, but Badler notes that MLB clubs are watching with keen interest.

Here are some more amateur notes as we enter the final weekend before the draft:

  • As he prepares to join the professional ranks after being declared a free agent, Cuban outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez has moved into the top spot on MLB.com’s international prospect list, as MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez writes. It’s unclear as yet whether Martinez will sign in this period or the new one beginning July 2, but he’ll have to put pen to paper in short order if he’s to head to the Yankees or Angels. Those two clubs will be unable to spend more than $300K after this July 2 class closes, and they are among the teams who Sanchez lists with interest. The Cubs, Blue Jays, Nationals, Rockies, Tigers, Dodgers, and Giants have also reached out to Martinez’s camp, per the report. “I’m working hard to get to my goal to play in the Major Leagues, ” says the 20-year-old. “That’s what I have always wanted to do.”
  • The makeup of the amateur draft has changed over time, as Ben Lindbergh of Grantland explains. Mocking the draft is a more-or-less hopeless endeavor, says Lindbergh, but some trends have emerged. For one thing, the number of pitchers has continued to rise rather significantly. While this year’s class lacks premium talent, Christopher Crawford of Baseball Prospectus tells Lindbergh, some teams — the Rangers (who have the fourth overall pick) chief among them, based on their recent history — could well continue to stockpile arms. The Diamondbacks, who of course sit at first overall, have leaned toward position players recently, although they have an entirely new front office installed this time around. Meanwhile, the percentage of high school players taken has plummeted in the long run, but has jumped more recently. In particular, says Lindbergh, the Red Sox and Blue Jays have moved toward heavy drafting of prep players, who of course represent generally riskier but (in some cases) higher-upside investments. The Nationals have skewed most heavily toward college players — the spread is rather amazingly wide — though that could be due in part to draft circumstances. There are plenty more details in the piece, and I highly recommend a read to prepare for the coming draft.
  • Bonus allocations (which come with the penalty of stark limitations in future drafts) have had a marked impact on clubs’ total outlay on draft-eligible talent, argues Ronald Blum of the Associated Press (via the Denver Post). Draft spending has remained flat over the last three years, with Blum calculating that an analogous increase of total cash commitments to that observed in free agency — which was often the case prior to the new rules — might have delivered an additional $100MM to amateur players over that span. This area is obviously full of complicated questions, including considerations of an international draft, and it’s extremely difficult to identify clear-cut solutions. The piece is full of interesting quotes from notable figures around the game, and is well worth a full read.
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