News broke about an hour ago that the Astros have signed prized Cuban free agent Yulieski Gurriel to a 5 year $47.5M contract. Word is he should be ready join the big league club in about 3 weeks. His natural position is 3B, so this will definitely influence many of the decisions the club has been weighing in recent weeks regarding Valbuena, Bregman, etc. More to follow.
From MLB Trade Rumors:
Long a star in the top Cuban league, Gurriel topped his own standards in a season for the ages. Over 224 plate appearances, he recorded a hit in exactly half of his at-bats, took 38 walks while striking out just three times, and knocked 15 long balls en route to a .874 slugging percentage.
