Former Houston Astros Batting Champ Signs MILB Deal with National League Contender

According to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Diego Padres have come to a minor league agreement with veteran first baseman/DH Yuli Gurriel.

Yuli Gurriel to the Padres. $1.25M if in majors plus $1M incentives. MLB camp invite.

Yuli Gurriel to the Padres. $1.25M if in majors plus $1M incentives. MLB camp invite.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 17, 2025

Gurriel, 40, is a nine-year veteran of the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals. He came over from Cuba in 2016 at the age of 32 and established himself as a presence in the Astros lineup, helping them win the World Series in both 2017 and 2022. He won the American League batting title in 2021 at the age of 37, hitting .319. Lifetime, he's a .280 hitter with 98 major league homers and 468 RBI.

He hit a career-high 31 homers for the Astros back in 2019 and also had 104 RBI that season. He signed on with the Marlins for 2023, helping Miami get to the playoffs, but his power cratered. He hit only four homers in 108 games that season.

He started the 2024 season in Triple-A for the Braves but was traded to the Kansas City Royals for their playoff run. He played 18 regular season games for the Royals, hitting .241. He struggled through the playoffs, going 4-for-21 as the Royals were bounced in the ALDS by the New York Yankees.

With the Padres, it's unclear what his role would be. He could serve as a backup option to first baseman Luis Arraez or he could be a designated hitter option.

Related MiLB Stories