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If it feels as if the Houston Astros have been searching to replace former first baseman Yuli Gurriel for the past two seasons, that's because they have. Gurriel left H-Town after helping the Astros to their second World Series title in 2022.
The following offseason, Houston agreed to a three-year, $53 million deal with former AL MVP Jose Abreu. Astros fans know all too well how that story ended. Abreu failed miserably during his time in Space City, and things got so bad that he was released this past summer despite the fact that the Astros are still on the hook for his 2025 salary.
After leaving Houston as a free agent, Gurriel was unable to find a lot of action on the open market and signed a minor-league deal with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2023 season. Gurriel played in just over 100 games last year and posted a .663 OPS.
Gurriel inked another minor-league deal this past April, this time with the Atlanta Braves. And while Gurriel has been stuck in the minors all season, it seems as if a recent injury may afford the former Astros' standout an opportunity to return to the big leagues.
Braves may add former Astros World Series hero Yuli Gurriel
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Braves are beginning to give Gurriel reps at third base. After losing All-Star third baseman Austin Riley to a broken hand, it appears that Atlanta's front office may be looking to Gurriel to help the Braves make a postseason push. The Braves also just signed former New York Yankees infielder Gio Urshela after he was dumped by the Detroit Tigers, who will occupy a big-league roster spot prior to the Sept. expansion.
Why don't I fix a spell check mistake to Yuli: Also heard that the Braves intend to have Yuli Gurriel begin to play some third base at AAA. Gurriel, 40, has not started at the position in the majors since 2019 and hasn't played at all in the majors this year. He's hitting .300… https://t.co/eFODZPkQ0F
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 20, 2024
As Sherman notes in his report, Gurriel hasn't played third base since 2019. But it's Gurriel's bat, not his glove that the Braves crave. The 40-year-old has spent all season at Triple-A Gwinnett and is hitting .300/.380/.498 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI.
Astros fans likely have fond memories of Gurriel, especially during Houston's 2017 World Series run. In what was his rookie season, Gurriel mashed two home runs during the Fall Classic and was responsible for eight RBI during the playoffs in Houston's first-ever world championship.