Houston Astros add Yulieski Gurriel to the stockpile

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With Alex Bregman right on the horizon, I was surprised to learn that the Houston Astros had signed 32-year old Cuban defector Yulieski Gurrielto a five-year deal. So when I saw this Fangraphs article, I wanted to drill down on the ‘why’.

The ‘just of it’:

What we know for sure: the Houston Astros just acquired a premium talent near the trade deadline and they didn’t have to give up any talent of their own, present or future, to do so.

Also, they may dangle Bregman as a trade chip if they want to go for it all this year. They obviously have some type of plan in mind what to do with everyone: Correa, Altuve, Valbuena, A.J. Reed, Gurriel, Bregman, etc. We just have to wait and see what that is.

I don’t necessarily think that’s true. I think the plan unfolds based on what happens with Gurriel at the MLB level, and Reed, and Bregman. I don’t think the plan they have today with all these names necessarily is the one that ends up playing out. How often in baseball does that actually happen? The situation dictates the plan. And things will work themselves out.

But I surely hope to see Correa, Bregman, Springer, Reed, and Altuve all on the same field.