Star Cuban infielder Yulieski Gourriel has reportedly been ruled a free agent and can sign with any Major League Baseball team, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports added Gourriel, who defected from Cuba in February, could be ready to play in the big leagues with three to five weeks of preparation.
Gourriel is an old free agent, having just turned 32 on June 9, but it does not appear that will hurt his earning power.
As a Cuban player who is over the age of 23 with more than five seasons in Serie Nacional, Gourriel is not subject to MLB's international spending rules.
The market for Gourriel may need time to develop, but two of the highest-spending franchises are already on his radar.
Brendan Kuty of NJ.com noted in May that the veteran infielder's favorite team is the New York Yankees and he "peppered Aroldis Chapman with questions about wearing pinstripes."
As well, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the Los Angeles Dodgers have "expressed interest" in Gourriel.
Ben Badler of Baseball America named Gourriel the best Cuban prospect in April 2015, particularly for his acumen with the bat:
He has plus bat speed and squares up all types of pitches with good hand-eye coordination and barrel control. He wraps his barrel behind his head, angling the bat toward the pitcher, but he gets the barrel into the hitting zone quickly and has good plate coverage. He stays within the strike zone and uses the whole field, and with plus raw power on the 20-80 scale, he offers a balance of being able to hit for average, get on base and hit for power.
Badler also noted that third base is Gourriel's best position, though he did play second base in his last two international tournaments. Badler compared his complete profile to that of current MLB stars David Wright and Hanley Ramirez.
Since Gourriel seems to be MLB-ready right now, his contract could be massive. At this point in the season, when most teams are putting together their needs for the trade deadline, he will only cost money; an interested team won't have to deal away prospects or suffer penalties under MLB's spending rules.
There will be a period of adjustment to MLB pitching, but Gourriel has enough upside to be a difference-maker for a team in need of help at second or third base.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments