Astros give Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel a $47.5 million contract
A driving force behind why Cuban stars like Yulieski Gurriel leave their homeland and come to Major League Baseball is the promise of a nice pay day, and Gurriel’s wish certainly came true Friday.
The Houston Astros signed the 32-year-old infielder to a five-year deal worth $47.5 million. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez was the first to report the terms of the contract.
In a financial climate where $200 million contracts are not uncommon– 11 have been signed since 2008 – Gurriel’s deal doesn’t stand out. But it does when you take into account that Gurriel, who defected from Cuba in February after the Caribbean Series, has not played a single MLB game.
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There are a few players without any major-league experience to have outdone Gurriel in terms of total commitment, but the list in not long. Masahiro Tanaka’s seven-year, $155 million deal leads the way. Then there’s the Cuban contingent of Rusney Castillo ($72 million), Yasmany Tomas ($68.5 million), Jose Abreu ($68 million), and Hector Olivera ($62.5 million), that’s closely followed by Japanese pitchers Yu Darvish ($60 million) and Daisuke Matsuzaka ($52 million).
Add Gurriel to that mix now, who mostly played second and third base in Cuba, but with All-Star Jose Altuve entrenched at second for the Astros, his opportunities will be at third. Expect it to come quick. Houston’s plan is for Gurriel to get 50-60 at-bats in the minors before joining the team and helping them in their quest to return to the playoffs.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
