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Posted
So does the 7 year 22 M contract mean he gets just over 3 per season or does he still get arbitration for the final 3 years and the 22 Million is more of a signing bonus?

 

Just treat it as if he were a FA.

 

no arbitration afaik

Posted
So does the 7 year 22 M contract mean he gets just over 3 per season or does he still get arbitration for the final 3 years and the 22 Million is more of a signing bonus?

 

No arbitration unless he sticks in the minors for a while and his service time clock out runs the contract.

Posted

 

 

Posted

Lourdes Gourriel Sr. was a star in Serie Nacional and the Cuban national team from the mid-70s to the early-90s, then spent time as a manager in Serie Nacional and coach on the Cuban national team. Gourriel has three sons, with middle brother Yulieski the No. 1 player in Cuba, and now the youngest brother, Lourdes Jr., emerging as one of the league’s premier talents. There has been talk about Lourdes Jr. for years, as he hit .308/.396/.484 in 107 plate appearances in Cuba’s 18U national league in 2010 and teamed with Jorge Soler at the 18U World Championship in Canada in 2010. Gourriel’s performance is now starting to match his potential after a breakout 2014-15 season, though scouts haven’t been able to get many in-person looks since he played sparingly at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in November and didn’t play at all during the Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico in February. He missed some time during the second half of the season due to injury, reportedly to his right hand.

 

Gourriel is a smart hitter with a chance to get on base at a high clip and drive the ball for power. He improved his balance at the plate this past season, keeping his hands inside the ball well for someone with his long arms with a fluid swing. Gourriel has plenty of bat speed to catch up to good fastballs and the plate coverage to make frequent contact. He can have trouble at times against slow breaking balls, but he has good strike-zone discipline and a patient approach, giving him a chance to be a plus hitter with a high OBP. Gourriel flashes above-average raw power with the swing path to generate backspin and leverage the ball for loft in games, making him a 20-homer threat.

 

While he’s spent time at third base and in left field, Gourriel emerged this past season as the everyday Industriales shortstop, giving the team an all Gourriel left side of the infield. Gourriel’s athleticism and impressive body control for his size allow him to handle the position in Serie Nacional. He’s an average runner, gets good reads off the bat and has a plus arm. Gourriel has good infield actions but was the most error-prone shortstop in Cuba this past season, which should improve with better decision-making on throws. His range is fringy for a major league shortstop, and as he fills out his frame, he would likely fit better in the big leagues at third base, where he could be a plus defender.

 

Though he’s not quite as advanced right now as Jose Fernandez, who is one spot ahead of him on this list, Gourriel’s power and defense give him more upside. Gourriel’s game is comparable to a young Ryan Zimmerman, a three-year starting shortstop in college at Virginia. While he’s not major league ready quite yet, he isn’t far off, and could likely handle a Double-A or possibly a Triple-A assignment. Presuming he stays in Cuba, Gourriel should carry a more prominent role on the national team going forward, possibly as the team’s shortstop, though he could play multiple positions for that club. Since Gourriel debuted in Serie Nacional as a 16-year-old, he already has five seasons of experience, which means he will be exempt from the bonus pools when he turns 23 on Oct. 19, 2016.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/top-20-prospects-cuba-1-10/#HZXUZkpREFSKJECh.99

Posted

 

 

 

So he's 22 now and not 23?

Posted
Lourdes Gourriel Sr. was a star in Serie Nacional and the Cuban national team from the mid-70s to the early-90s, then spent time as a manager in Serie Nacional and coach on the Cuban national team. Gourriel has three sons, with middle brother Yulieski the No. 1 player in Cuba, and now the youngest brother, Lourdes Jr., emerging as one of the league’s premier talents. There has been talk about Lourdes Jr. for years, as he hit .308/.396/.484 in 107 plate appearances in Cuba’s 18U national league in 2010 and teamed with Jorge Soler at the 18U World Championship in Canada in 2010. Gourriel’s performance is now starting to match his potential after a breakout 2014-15 season, though scouts haven’t been able to get many in-person looks since he played sparingly at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in November and didn’t play at all during the Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico in February. He missed some time during the second half of the season due to injury, reportedly to his right hand.

 

Gourriel is a smart hitter with a chance to get on base at a high clip and drive the ball for power. He improved his balance at the plate this past season, keeping his hands inside the ball well for someone with his long arms with a fluid swing. Gourriel has plenty of bat speed to catch up to good fastballs and the plate coverage to make frequent contact. He can have trouble at times against slow breaking balls, but he has good strike-zone discipline and a patient approach, giving him a chance to be a plus hitter with a high OBP. Gourriel flashes above-average raw power with the swing path to generate backspin and leverage the ball for loft in games, making him a 20-homer threat.

 

While he’s spent time at third base and in left field, Gourriel emerged this past season as the everyday Industriales shortstop, giving the team an all Gourriel left side of the infield. Gourriel’s athleticism and impressive body control for his size allow him to handle the position in Serie Nacional. He’s an average runner, gets good reads off the bat and has a plus arm. Gourriel has good infield actions but was the most error-prone shortstop in Cuba this past season, which should improve with better decision-making on throws. His range is fringy for a major league shortstop, and as he fills out his frame, he would likely fit better in the big leagues at third base, where he could be a plus defender.

 

Though he’s not quite as advanced right now as Jose Fernandez, who is one spot ahead of him on this list, Gourriel’s power and defense give him more upside. Gourriel’s game is comparable to a young Ryan Zimmerman, a three-year starting shortstop in college at Virginia. While he’s not major league ready quite yet, he isn’t far off, and could likely handle a Double-A or possibly a Triple-A assignment. Presuming he stays in Cuba, Gourriel should carry a more prominent role on the national team going forward, possibly as the team’s shortstop, though he could play multiple positions for that club. Since Gourriel debuted in Serie Nacional as a 16-year-old, he already has five seasons of experience, which means he will be exempt from the bonus pools when he turns 23 on Oct. 19, 2016.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/top-20-prospects-cuba-1-10/#HZXUZkpREFSKJECh.99

 

my biggest take from that is...there's gonna be another Ryan Zimmerman?! :/

Posted

Some of you are posting quotes off MLBTR...this is my favourite quote:

 

Gurriel has “a chance to be a plus hitter with a high OBP” with potential 20-homer power.

Posted
Some of you are posting quotes off MLBTR...this is my favourite quote:

 

Gurriel has “a chance to be a plus hitter with a high OBP” with potential 20-homer power.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/images/players/head_shot/450314.jpg

Posted

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=19198&position=3B

 

Is his brother is one of the best Cuban players?

Didn't have a great year for the Astros @ age 32..

His contract looks a lot better than his brothers and has potential to have a better MLB career just from the age they're defecting

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/report-blue-jays-sign-cuban-prospect-lourdes-gurriel-jr/

 

#6 in international prospects

Community Moderator
Posted

Wow, this is great.

 

Toronto operating like a big boy team. As they should.

 

As a player, Gurriel Jr. seems like a bit of an enigma. He really could be anything.

Middle infielder?

Third baseman?

Corner outfielder?

Bench player?

Slugger?

OBP guy?

Hacker?

Total bust?

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