Most Popular Article of the Week: Lourdes Gourriel Held September Showcase for MLB Teams

The latest “next big thing” to come out of Cuba is Lourdes Gourriel and after being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball recently he is ready to take the next step towards his professional career in the United States. Gourriel held a showcase for Major League teams yesterday in Panama City and Lourdes, the younger brother of Houston Astros prospect Yulieski Gourriel, reportedly put on a show. Were the Yankees watching?

I can remember when it was announced that these two fled their native country for a career in the United States that many believed it was Lourdes and not Yulieski that was the ultimate prize. Yulieski was a little bit older but he has been seen absolutely tearing the cover off the ball for the Astros since Houston promoted him in August. If Yulieski is this good, Lourdes should be better. I think so anyway, do the Yankees?


The Yankees are working towards a youth movement and the 2017 season and beyond and Lourdes fits that mold much better than Yulieski would have. Lourdes is expected to wait until October to sign so he will not be subject to MLB’s international free agency signing rules and restrictions for amateur players which also fits into the mold of what the Yankees are currently doing. See the Yankees are still on a signing restriction from their international haul from a few years back and cannot sign an amateur free agent for more than $300K if they fall under the IFA criteria, once Lourdes has a birthday in October he will no longer be subject to those rules and will be treated as a true free agent.


Lourdes is 10-years younger than his brother Yulieski and all signs point to him being a cheaper sign than the $47.5 million the Astros gave to his older brother earlier this year. For these reasons and many more there is expected to be stiff competition for Lourdes and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball has even said as many as 20+ teams will be interested in his services once he decides to sign after his 23rd birthday.


Gourriel turns 23-years old on October 19, 2016 and then all hell breaks loose for his services. The Yankees have never been publicly linked to Gourriel but when the Yankees have an opportunity to add a young player with talent for just money they usually get their guy when they want him. Here’s to hoping they want Lourdes Gourriel. Don’t let this be another Yoan Moncada incident.

Lourdes Gourriel Held September Showcase for MLB Teams

The latest “next big thing” to come out of Cuba is Lourdes Gourriel and after being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball recently he is ready to take the next step towards his professional career in the United States. Gourriel held a showcase for Major League teams yesterday in Panama City and Lourdes, the younger brother of Houston Astros prospect Yulieski Gourriel, reportedly put on a show. Were the Yankees watching?

I can remember when it was announced that these two fled their native country for a career in the United States that many believed it was Lourdes and not Yulieski that was the ultimate prize. Yulieski was a little bit older but he has been seen absolutely tearing the cover off the ball for the Astros since Houston promoted him in August. If Yulieski is this good, Lourdes should be better. I think so anyway, do the Yankees?

The Yankees are working towards a youth movement and the 2017 season and beyond and Lourdes fits that mold much better than Yulieski would have. Lourdes is expected to wait until October to sign so he will not be subject to MLB’s international free agency signing rules and restrictions for amateur players which also fits into the mold of what the Yankees are currently doing. See the Yankees are still on a signing restriction from their international haul from a few years back and cannot sign an amateur free agent for more than $300K if they fall under the IFA criteria, once Lourdes has a birthday in October he will no longer be subject to those rules and will be treated as a true free agent.

Lourdes is 10-years younger than his brother Yulieski and all signs point to him being a cheaper sign than the $47.5 million the Astros gave to his older brother earlier this year. For these reasons and many more there is expected to be stiff competition for Lourdes and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball has even said as many as 20+ teams will be interested in his services once he decides to sign after his 23^rd birthday.

Gourriel turns 23-years old on October 19, 2016 and then all hell breaks loose for his services. The Yankees have never been publicly linked to Gourriel but when the Yankees have an opportunity to add a young player with talent for just money they usually get their guy when they want him. Here’s to hoping they want Lourdes Gourriel. Don’t let this be another Yoan Moncada incident.

What About Lourdes Gourriel Jr.?

Major League Baseball has finally declared Lourdes Gourriel Jr., younger brother of now Houston Astros player Yulieski Gourriel, a MLB free agent. Yulieski just recently signed a five-year deal worth $47.5 million and Lourdes is expected to sign for either longer, more money or both due to his age. Currently Lourdes is 22-years old meaning due to his age and lack of professional baseball in his career he is subject to the international free agent signing restrictions. If Lourdes waits until October, which all reports say he will do, when he turns 23-years old he would be a true free agent and could be signed with restrictions. Is that where the Yankees come in?

Here is what I wrote about both Yulieski and Lourdes back when they defected. I wanted both now and I would take Lourdes now. He will have to go to the minor leagues for a year or three to fine-tune his talents and won't be an immediate impact but the Yankees don't need an immediate impact. The youth movement has begun and the youth movement takes time. This signing makes a lot of sense. Will it happen? Leave it below in the comments section.

Making the Case for Yulieski Gourriel

The next big thing from Cuba is headed to the United States and could be ready as early as sometime in the 2016 season. Yulieski Gourriel is his name and he is bringing his younger and equally as talented brother Lourdes Gourriel with him. The Yankees are a long shot to sign Lourdes since he will be subject to international spending caps and limitations set by the league but the 31-year old Yulieski will not, he will be a true free agent. While the Yankees spending spree a couple years back will likely keep them from Lourdes only their own limitations will keep them from Yulieski, especially after he announced his preference to play for the Bronx Bombers. 

Yulieski wants to play here, you absolutely cannot put a price tag on that. Having a player that wants to be here in the Bronx rather than what many refer to as “hired mercenaries” shows up not only in their on the field play but in their clubhouse presence and off the field presence as well. This is not talked about enough and this may be more important than anything assuming the talent and production is there to boot so that’s why I listed it first. 

With that out of the way let’s get to the talent and the need that Yulieski would potentially fill in the Yankees organization. Yulieski is a third baseman by trade, a position the Yankees lack in behind Chase Headley,  and has put up a healthy .333/.415/.576 triple slash in his career with 235 career home runs in just 849 games. His bat is strong and his glove may be better as many scouts call him a “plus-defender” while gushing over his makeup, instincts, first move ability and mechanics. Some scouts have even gone as far as to call Yulieski a .300 hitter with 40+ doubles power due to his speed. That’s not a free agent, that’s a game-changer. 

The Yankees may not have the room now but they will have the room for Yulieski going forward. Mark Teixeira will need as much rest as possible at first base and Headley can handle first base with relative ease opening the door for Yulieski. Also Alex Rodriguez will need to play in less than 150 games next season to keep him fresh and healthy opening the door for DH at bats for Gorriel as well. Next season, 2017, the Yankees can take their time with the injured Greg Bird and have Headley play first base while having the Cuban-native play third base until Bird is deemed healthy and ready to return to the Bronx after a shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2016 season. 

This also sounds good on paper but we all know how the league and the endless paperwork can slow these things down. We have seen the process of declaring a Cuban-defector a MLB free agent take a few months up until a year with a seven month average eliminating any chance of Gourriel, plural, competing at all this season. Gourriel is already drawing comparisons to Adrian belter and Bobby Grich though so this may be a risk worth taking for the Yankees. This makes the team ultimately better and younger while allowing the organization to slowly dip their feet back into the Cuban waters and the Cuban market before a potential international draft is imposed. This is important, maybe one of the most important potential free agent signings of my time, and the Yankees need to get this done. It makes too much sense not to and that’s what worries me. 

The Next Wave of Cuban Imports & Stars

The New York Yankees cannot sign an international free agent for more than $300,000 during the current IFA signing period and the next IFA signing period due to the fact that the team blew past their league-mandated restrictions during the 2014-2015 signing period. Just as an FYI the international signing periods go from July 2^nd to July 2^nd so the current signing period ends on July 2^nd, 2016 and the next signing period ends on July 2^nd, 2017. After this date the Yankees will be allowed to spend again and you have to wonder if the next two latest Cuban defecting imports will be available before that date or after that date.

The top two prospects left in Cuba reportedly defected the country recently and will look to latch on with major league teams in the United States. Yulieski Gourriel was an infielder playing in Cuba before him and his younger brother, Lourdes, slipped away from their hotel in the Dominican Republic and defected from their native country Cuba. Yulieski has been one of the most highly sought after Cuban players after showcasing his talents during the World Baseball Classic in 2006 which his brother wasn’t considered to be a slouch either drawing rave reviews from many around the Cuban game and MLB scouts alike. Yulieski is not attached to the international spending cap and prefers to play for the Yankees while his brother will have to be fit into the international spending cap handed down by the league.

Yulieski is now 31-years old and was recently seen playing for the Yokohama Dena Baystars for $1 million as well as playing for the national team in Havana. Yokohama terminated his contract this spring after Yulieski told the team he was injured and needed to recoup and rehab back in Cuba. Yulieski and his brother Lourdes went on to play for Team Cuba in the Caribbean Series but their team fell to Mexico just short of the finals. It was after the series and their exit that they defected.

Whether they will establish residency, presumably in the Dominican Republic, and be declared free agents during this signing period, the next or the next remains to be seen. This takes quite some time unfortunately and can be delayed for a slew of reasons so whether or not the Yankees have a shot at either of these latest Cuban imports remains to be seen. You would think that they would come in a package deal though so stay tuned as this all gets figured out.