You can @ me on Twitter since we follow each other, chief. It's a little petty, I admit, but I guess I expect way too much out of my fellow man to spell sometihng correctly when it's right in front of them....
Anyone see the pic of Yulieski Gurriel wearing an Astros cap after they worked him out? MLB Tonight is talking as if we are going to get the guy. They brough up the idea of moving Valbuena to 1st and continuing to platoon him. Unsure of Val resigning next year... Rosenthal brought up the idea of moving Bregman to CF next year if this happens. What a lineup this could become...
Assuming he's the real deal it could be a worthwhile signing. He can play 3B this season and as he ages he can shift to LF, 1B, or DH. I assume he is going to take a 3 or 4 year deal.
Picture has been posted in this forum a handful of times. At face value, it means nothing. Makes sense that teams he works out for supply him with some gear. There is a picture of him in a Dodger's hat as well.
He is a better hitter than Gattis, it would be an improvement at DH. He also plays 3b, you move Valbuena to 1st, he is an improvement over Marwin. He is a very good player. If it happens, then you have to move Bregman to play OF this year in the minors because he would have no place on that infield.
Everyone seems to think he's very good. By the standards of the CNS, he's a HOFer. Cuban pros are a total crapshoot though: their level of competition, number of games, lots of other factors...
I'd say that it is hard to say. Currently both he and I (as well as AJ Reed) have the same number of hits in MLB.
Honestly, there is no way to really tell. He is 32 years old, and hasn't even been playing for a little while, let alone against major league pitching. He would need several weeks to knock the rust off. I have a feeling he would be a nice addition to 3B, which would then allow us to slide Valbuena over to 1B, but I can't really substantiate that at all. And any who says otherwise is simply stating their hope/opinion as opposed to anything concrete.
the thing about Gurriel is that he was always the top player from Cuba, batting second or third, and was the leader. He is 32, but i think he would be able to give 3 to 4 good years in the majors.
Yes, I understand who Gurriel is. But that still doesn't guarantee any modicum of success at the MLB level, for a 32 year that hasn't been playing daily lately. Again, I also think he would be an upgrade for our 1B situation, as Gurriel would play 3B and Valbuena can slide over to 1B, but that's nothing more than a guy feeling. I'm not a Gattis fan by any means, but it's comical that some folks can be 100% sure that Gurriel is better than Gattis. Living in a world of absolutes is risky business my friend, and you just might come off looking silly.
I've heard he isn't really that great of a fielder. You don't think we'd consider him at LF before moving Bregman, supposedly a very good infielder, to the outfield?
He is a little above average fielder, with a good arm. Above average bat speed. When he was younger, some compared him to Beltre. Astros are not in real need for him, other teams are going to go harder after him. Yankees need a better option at 3b, an Gourriel could be the one. And by the way, Valbuena is 11th in OPS for 3b
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...international-amateurs-2016-17-signing-period [rquoter]The Boston Red Sox have been found in violation of the sport's international signing system, and as a result, the team is barred from signing any international amateur players during the 2016-17 signing period, according to sources. Because of the violations, the contracts of players involved in the situation have been voided, including outfielders Simon Muzziotti, Albert Guaimaro, pitcher Cesar Gonzalez, and infielder Antonio Pinero. The players who've had their contracts voided can be scouted by all other teams at a workout on July 5, in Santo Domingo.[/rquoter] Some international players back in play should the Astros wish to get involved.
Just read that his asking price is somewhere in the $10M/ur range for 4 years. I thought it'd be much higher. If Houston could get him for $35M/3yrs with a 4th year club or vesting option, I think it would be a great signing considering the upside.
If the Astros sign him, hopefully it's soon so they can see what they have in him and plan accordingly at the trade deadline. The longer he waits, the less he likely gets as well due to needing a couple of weeks to get in playing shape. As far as production, if he produced like Vinny Castilla when the Astros picked him up quasi mid year in 2001, then it's great.
