Throughout his stint as Braves general manager, Alex Anthopoulos has demonstrated a talent for making little signings that end up contributing significantly in some fashion, and he may have done so again.
According to Francys Romero, the Braves are signing Yuli Gurriel, a two-time World Series champion, to a minor league contract.
BREAKING: The Atlanta Braves and Cuban INF Yuli Gurriel are in agreement on a deal, per sources.
It's a Minor League deal. Yuli should be assigned some time to Triple-A.
The two-time World Series champion is back. pic.twitter.com/LKhwriSSKO
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) April 13, 2024
Gurriel won two World Series with the Houston Astros, where he was a key member of their world-class offense. He joined the organization in 2016 as a 32-year-old after defecting from Cuba, and his greatest season was in 2019, when he hit.298 with 31 home runs, 104 RBIs, and an.884 OPS.
Gurriel’s success started to erode with age in 2022, his final season with the Astros. In 146 games, he hit just eight home runs and had a.647 OPS. Most recently, he played last season with the Marlins, where he had a.663 OPS in 108 games.
The Braves will hopefully never have to rely on Gurriel to play for a long time at 39 years old, but he’s a veteran with plenty of playoff experience who can play first base. As we saw earlier this season, injuries can strike at any time and dramatically change the course of the season. The Braves have already lost Spencer Strider for the season, while Sean Murphy is still recovering from an oblique ailment. You can never have too much depth, and Gurriel can come in handy if necessary.
