Houston Astros: Yulieski Gurriel Almost Ready for MLB Debut?

Houston Astros recent signee, Yulieski Gurriel, was a star in Cuba, and has been dominating the minor leagues. But just how ready is he to contribute at the major league level and how does he fit?

When the Houston Astros signed Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel to a five-year, $47.5 million deal amid a playoff race, many expected that the team thought he could contribute during the 2016 season. Gurriel had been one of the top Cuban baseball players for many years now, carrying a an over .300 in every season but one he played in the Cuban National Series.

The 32 year-old had taken a year off from baseball last season, but had expressed desire of transitioning to the American game. It is always difficult to project players from other countries as the level of competition is far more superior in the MLB and even in the minor leagues. However, the recent success of Cuban stars like Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Abreu and Yasiel Puig (at least for a short period of time), has allowed teams to become more comfortable in this market. With that there are two questions that Astros management must answer. When will he be promoted to the big leagues and what his role will be this season?

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In terms of when is major league debut is coming, general manager Jeff Luhnow basically let the cat out of the bag while talking to reporters yesterday, exclaiming that they expect Gurriel to join the club before their series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

"“He’ll play today, tomorrow and maybe Sunday [at Corpus Christi],” Luhnow said Friday. “We will see where he goes after that. Monday is an off-day for us. We’re still hoping everything will line up so he can participate on Tuesday when the Cardinals come to Houston.”"

This is big news for an Astros ballclub that is right in the thick of the playoff hunt. At the start of the day today, Houston is still far away from the Texas Rangers, as they are 7.5 games back of the AL West lead. The Astros best shot looks like a Wild Card berth, being that they are only two games back of the Boston Red Sox for that second spot.

It’s unusual that a contender will bring someone from out of the country into the thick of the playoff race, but Gurriel is no typical international signing. In addition to his strong record while playing in Cuba, Gurriel is 32 years old and has a multitude of experience in professional baseball. He has also made easy work of all his competition in the Astros farm system, hitting .321 with one home run in three different levels of the minors.

Now that Gurriel seems to have done everything he needed to deserve a promotion, what exactly will his role be on the major league club?

Looking at the Astros roster, manager AJ Hinch seems to have some tough decisions when trying to incorporate him in the everyday lineup, especially with the recent promotion of the club’s top prospect Alex Bregman. Both Gurriel and Bregman have been most recently playing at third base, so that figures to complicate matters as well. Here is the current Houston Astros starting lineup.

C: Jason Castro

1B: AJ Reed

2B: Jose Altuve

3B: Alex Bregman

SS: Carlos Correa

LF: Tony Kemp

CF: Jake Marisnick

RF: George Springer

DH: Evan Gattis

There is a clear logjam in the infield with young building blocks at every position. The most logical move if Gurriel continues to produce is possibly moving Alex Bregman to left field, where is has played four times before at both the major and minor league levels. This would shift Tony Kemp to a more reserve type of role, and Gurriel would be able to play at the hot corner. Now Tony Kemp has been solid in 28 games in the MLB, hitting for for .286 average and getting on-base at a .357 clip, but Gurriel is the man who just signed the big contract, so expect him to see everyday playing time.

Now Bregman started of his stint struggling at the plate, but has shown signs of adjustment in the past week. However, if Gurriel and Kemp continue to produce, Hinch may just simply switch Bregman out of the lineup for the international signee.

For AJ Hinch, the roster is a versatile one. There is a lot of mixing and matching that the second-year manager could do depending on who’s hot at the plate. Certainly, if adding Gurriel creates a logjam because too many players are producing, I’m sure that will be a problem that many Astros fans welcome.

Next: Nats' Papelbon Requests Release

What do you think of Gurriel’s impending promotion? Share your thoughts below.

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