Is Yuli Gurriel playing for Houston Astros in 2023? Latest contract news explored

Is Yuli Gurriel coming back for an eighth season with the Houston Astros? As of now, he isn't.

Gurriel was an offensive sparkplug for the Astros since joining the team in 2016 after defecting from Cuba.

Gurriel is the son of Cuban baseball star Lourdes Gurriel, who played for years in the domestic leagues in Cuba. Due to the embargo, the elder Gurriel was never able to play baseball in North America.

That all changed when his sons Yulieski and Lourdes Jr. decided to defect from their Communist homeland in 2016. Later that year, both were signed to contracts with big-league teams, with Yuli signing a five-year deal with the Astros.

"This will always be my favorite memory of Yuli Gurriel’s time with the Astros." - 2X WS Champ Cock

Yuli Gurriel hit .299/.332/.486 with 18 home runs and 75 RBIs in 2017, his first full season in the MLB. He hit his first postseason home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers as his team won the 2017 World Series.

2019 was Yuli Gurriel's best offensive season to date, as he hit 31 home runs and 104 RBIs. Prior to the 2020 season, the Astros signed Gurriel to a one-year deal with a club option for 2022.

Following the Houston Astros' victory in the 2022 World Series, Gurriel became a free agent. By the time he left the club, Gurriel had appeared at first base in more World Series games than any other player in the 2010s.

In November 2022, the Astros signed a three-year, $58 million deal with former Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. With Abreu's acquisition, the slot at first base closed.

"Dana Brown on Yuli Gurriel: 'When you signed (Jose) Abreu it’s makes it tough to go out and get Gurriel because it’s more of a want as opposed to a need. We love the player and would love to have him back, but we have to figure out if there’s any room where he can get at-bats.'" - @ Mark Berman

Yuli Gurriel may struggle to find a home for the 2023 season

As a 38-year-old free agent, Gurriel will not be able to expect contracts as big as he was able to attract earlier in his career. Unfortunately for Gurriel, he was unable to start his MLB career until the age of 32 due to political circumstances outside of his control. Perhaps his future lies in baseball development, where he can use his wealth of experience from both the MLB and the Cuban leagues to help the next generation.