Inside The Padres

Padres Signing Former Astros World Series Champion, Gold Glove Winner: Report

Noah Camras|
Oct 20, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (left) and shortstop Jeremy Pena (center) celebrate with first baseman Yuli Gurriel (right) after defeating the New York Yankees in game two of the ALCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (left) and shortstop Jeremy Pena (center) celebrate with first baseman Yuli Gurriel (right) after defeating the New York Yankees in game two of the ALCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are finalizing a deal with veteran infielder Yuli Gurriel, per MLB insider Francys Romero.

According to Romero, Gurriel has a "strong chance" to make the Opening Day roster.

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Gurriel, 40, is a two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros. He's also a one-time Gold Glove award winner at first base.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post said it's a minor league deal for Gurriel. However, if he makes the majors, he'll get a $1.25 million deal plus $1 million in incentives.

Gurriel is joining the team at spring training.

Gurriel was with the Astros from 2016-22, and has bounced around the league over the last two years. In 2023, he hit .245 across 108 games with the Miami Marlins. In 2024, he hit .241 across 18 games with the Kansas City Royals.

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From 2016-22, Gurriel played a key role in the Astros' two World Series championships. Across his seven seasons in Houston, Gurriel slashed .284/.328/.448 with 94 home runs and 435 runs batted in across 801 games. He hit a career-high 31 home runs with 104 RBIs in 2019, and led the American League with a .319 batting average in 2021.

Gurriel is mainly a first baseman, but he also has experience playing third base and second base with very minimal experience at shortstop and in the outfield. Over the last few seasons, he's only played first base, where he's been a below-average defender.

Gurriel brings plenty of championship experience, having played 92 career postseason games across 20 series. He has a career .746 OPS in the World Series, with three home runs and 12 runs batted in.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah graduated from USC in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He is the lead editor for Inside the Padres. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, and has covered all Southern California sports in his career.

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