Report: Gurriel's younger brother declared free agent
The other Gurriel brother is about to hit the open market.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the younger brother of recent Houston Astros free-agent signing Yulieski Gurriel, has reportedly been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Lourdes confirmed his free agency on social media shortly after the initial report.
Lourdes will be subject to MLB's international signing rules, including bonus pools, unless he waits until after his 23rd birthday to sign, Sanchez reports. He turns 23 on Oct. 19.
Primarily a second baseman in Cuba, Lourdes has also played first base, and spent time at left field and shortstop during his final year playing in his home country. His 2015 campaign with Industriales was the best season of his six-year Serie Nacional career, hitting .344/.407/.560 with 10 homers and 43 runs scored over 59 games. Lourdes finished his Cuban career with a slash line of .277/.362/.426.
Although he's highly touted - Baseball America ranked him as the fourth-best player in Cuba in a 2015 report - Lourdes may need development time in the minors after he signs. That's a stark contrast to his 32-year-old brother Yulieski, a legend of Cuban baseball who's expected to make his big-league debut later this season. Yulieski, who was signed to a reported five-year, $47.5-million deal by the Astros last month, will be joining the team's Double-A affiliate on Tuesday.
During their press conference to announce the signing of Yulieski, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow stated his team plans to try and sign Lourdes as well. It's unclear what other teams may have interest in Lourdes.
The Gurriel brothers defected from Cuba together this past February.