MLB: Lourdes Gurriel Jr declared free agent
By Jason Evans
Yulieski Gurriel’s little brother is finally declared a free agent by the MLB.
There was much intrigue after the Gurriel brothers defected from Cuba. Yulieski signed a big deal with the Houston Astros and is working his way up to the big leagues right now. His younger brother isn’t too fare behind him now as Lourdes has finally been declared a free agent.
Multiple sources confirm Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been declared a free agent and eligible to sign with MLB team, as reported by @longenhagen
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) August 8, 2016
But, there is an intersting twist to the younger Gurriel’s free agency.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who turns 23 in October, is subject to international signing guidelines if he signs before his birthday. #Cuba
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) August 8, 2016
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Right now, teams like the Yankees, Cubs and Dodgers, who all blew past their international spending limits, can’t sign him because he’s subjected to the international bonus regulations. Once he turns 23, since he played five years as a pro in Cuba, Gurriel is no longer a part of that and is a free agent like Jose Bautista will be after this year and can sign with anyone.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is expected to have a large showcase & private workouts for teams in near future. He's now training in Panama. #Cuba
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) August 8, 2016
That tells me that Gurriel is going to wait until after his birthday in October to sign in order to get a better deal and keep those options open, And that’s exactly what he should do.
Gurriel can play both the infield and the outfield, which makes him even more of an attractive prospect.
With the lack of impact free agents after this season, teams may load up on trying to sign the youngster, even though many recent Cuban free agents have been flops in the big leagues and in the minors.