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Rather than make a trade, the Astros signed Yulieski Gurriel
Saturday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the Astros making a major free agent signing, the ripple effects of the Drew Pomeranz trade, and yet another promising arm in Chicago.
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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We are officially approaching the stretch run in the baseball season, with teams returning to action after the All-Star break. This means that we’re firmly entrenched in trade season, as rumors are about to start coming out at a furious rate. In fact, trade season already started with Drew Pomeranz being sent to the Red Sox. On Friday, the Astros showed the rest of the league that trades aren’t the only way to upgrade a roster. In a rare impactful midseason free agent signing, Houston inked Cuban defector Yulieski Gurriel to a five-year deal.
For those who haven’t heard of Gurriel, he is one of the best Cuban hitters in recent memory. Front offices all around the league have been waiting for the now-32-year-old to come stateside for years now. Not only has he performed well on the World Baseball Classic stage, but he’s put up a career .335/.417/.580 line at Serie Nacional, the Cuban baseball league (plus a short stint in Japan). An infielder by trade, Gurriel can handle either second or third base. Of course, this is the Astros we’re talking about, and they already have Jose Altuve. Given that, Gurriel will surely slide into the hot corner whenever he’s ready to contribute.
The ripple effects of this deal are also fascinating. For one, the Mets were long rumored to be interested in his services, but now will have to look elsewhere to plug the hole in their infield. Sticking with the Astros, this also has a profound effect on top prospect Alex Bregman, who was considered a possibility to play third base this year. Now they could use him as a trade chip for a major piece either this summer or in the winter. More likely, though, is that they’ll keep him around and play him somewhere else. Left field could be a possibility. Either way, Houston needed an extra push to continue the strong finish to their first half that helped erase their forgettable start. They were able to get that push by only spending money.
- The aforementioned Pomeranz deal came as a bit of a surprise, but it was a trade that made obvious sense for both sides.
- Texas also wanted Pomeranz, and now they may have to settle for Rich Hill. Sucks to settle for a pitcher with a 2.06 ERA and a 2.49 FIP over his last 17 starts.
- The Orioles also need pitching. Should they target Jeremy Hellickson? Yes, you read that right. A contending team may rightfully be considering Jeremy Hellickson. This is a weird season.
- Aroldis Chapman would be really helpful for the Giants, but is it worth it?
- Carson Fulmer is coming up to help in Chicago’s bullpen, because the White Sox just don’t have enough talented young pitchers.
- Are you one of those people who think it’s silly that minor league players are asking for money? You should stop being one of those people.
- Just last year the Braves gave up a relatively large haul for Hector Olivera. Now, they can’t even guarantee he’ll come back to their roster.
- Of all the questionable decisions the Yankees have made in recent years, not signing Yoan Moncada might be their biggest regret.
- The offensive environment in the league has changed in a hurry this year, and it’s leaving the Royals behind.
- Giancarlo Stanton is pretty good at hitting dingers.
- How have the Cardinals' pitchers performed relative to their preseason expectations?
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