Yuli Gurriel could sign with Astros rival?
Sep 4, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel (10) looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
At 38 years old, Yuli Gurriel may have one more left in him.
Retired former MLB player Carlos Baerga wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday that the veteran slugger Gurriel is rumored to be signing a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. After spending the last seven seasons with the Houston Astros, Gurriel remains a free agent.
Baerga is a non-traditional news-breaker but did nail one big scoop about the Red Sox earlier this week. That said, another such report of his about a National League team was recently disputed.
Gurriel was underwhelming for the Astros last season, batting .242 with a .647 OPS. But Gurriel had a 31-homer, 104-RBI season back in 2019 and followed that up by hitting a career-high .319 and winning a Gold Glove Award in 2021.
The Gurriel era in Houston effectively ended this offseason when the Astros signed former AL MVP Jose Abreu, another righty-hitting first base slugger. Now it seems Gurriel could be joining an Astros rival in the Red Sox, who have faced Houston in three of the last six postseasons and who also have one interesting connection to Gurriel.
