One AL Team Has Interest In Yuli Gurriel

He's the only free agent first baseman left on the market with any real value, and former Houston Astro Yuli Gurriel is still deciding on his future. According to a report from MLB Insider Jon Heyman, an American League Central team is trying to swing a team-friendly deal.

The (Minnesota) Twins checked in with Yuli Gurriel and might be interested on a very low deal. The Marlins were said to have made a low offer but things seemed to have cooled there. (Houston) Astros people like him, so a return can’t be ruled out.

Just exactly what "a very low deal" works out to be is unknown. Gurriel is coming off earning about $8M each of the last two seasons with the Astros. He's spent his entire 7-year career with AL West team, and has a Gold Glove and a batting title to his credit from an outstanding 2021 season. 

But 2022 saw a significant downturn for the 38 year old, as his average dropped from .319 to just .242, and his OPS plummeted 200 points from .846 to .647. He went from being 31% better than the average hitter (OPS+ of 131) to being 16% worse than average (OPS+ of 84). 

The Cuban's career marks are a .284 average with a .776 OPS. He has 94 career home runs. 

The Miami Marlins were said to be on the verge of signing the South Florida resident, but talks seem to have cooled off. The Astros, as Heyman notes, could still be an option, although they signed Jose Abreu to a multi-year contract to serve as their first baseman going forward. 

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