Former Houston Astros Batting Champ Signs Deal With Atlanta

A member of two Houston Astros World Series championship teams is now a part of the Atlanta Braves organization.

Former Houston Astros batting champion Yuli Gurriel is now in the Atlanta Braves organization after signing a minor-league deal with the team, per MLB.com.

Gurriel should be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett where he’ll try to reclaim the form that made him the American League batting champion with the Houston Astros in 2021.

Gurriel was unable to find a taker this offseason after he moved into free agency during his only season with the Miami Marlins. It’s a low-risk signing for the Braves, who are set at Gurriel’s positions with Matt Olson at first base and Marcell Ozuna at designated hitter. If either get injured, Gurriel could be in line for a call-up.

The timing could be good for Gurriel, who has lost his power production over the past two seasons. He hit just eight home runs for the Astros in 2022 and then four home runs for Miami in 2023, despite playing 108 games.

He broke in with the Astros in 2016 at age 32 after two seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and a defection from his home country of Cuba. From 2017-2121 he was a highly productive part of the Astros’ lineup, which included a career-high 31 home runs and 104 RBI in 2019.

He batted .319 in 2021 to win his only batting title, during which he also hit 15 home runs and 81 RBI. He also won a Gold Glove that season.

He was a member of the Astros’ 2017 and 2022 World Series teams. The Astros allowed him to test free agency after the 2022 season.