The Houston Astros have signed Yuli Gurriel to an extension. The deal is for one year with an option for the 2022 season. Gurriel is 36-years-old but remains a solid hitter in the middle of Houston’s lineup. The team announced the move late Tuesday morning.
Piña Power is back for 2021! #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/9jyIUooy6p
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 29, 2020
Astros Re-Sign Yuli Gurriel
Gurriel struggled in the abbreviated 2020 regular season. He hit just .232/274/384 with six home runs in 230 plate appearances. His BABIP plummeted from .289 in 2019 to just .235 in 2020. Some fans will undoubtedly point at the decline as a sign that Houston’s cheating system from years past was buoying his production but that might not be the entire story. His strikeout rate only jumped by .9 percent compared to his career average and his contact rate on all pitches actually increased . Some of Gurriel’s struggles look more like those of an older player who suffered from opposing pitching strategies and the shortened season.
The Astros first signed Gurriel after the 2015-16 season. That was his last year playing for various teams in Cuba where he dominated. His career slash line in the Cuban National Series is .337/421/582 with 239 home runs. He has been very good since coming to North America, as well. 2020 was bad but he still has a .287/324/468 slash line and a 111 OPS+. A full 2021 season might be a return to form for the veteran first baseman.
What This Means for the Future
Fans should expect Houston to start Gurriel at first again in 2021. They might move him to designated hitter but that would depend on what they do with pending free agent Michael Brantley. It is also possible that he starts the season as a bench bat with someone else taking over the first base but none of the team’s best prospects are projected regulars at the position. This is a smart, safe move for a team that has been a model of consistency for several years at this point despite the cheating and fallout.
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