Yuli Gurriel's earnings: How much wealth has the Houston Astros star acquired over his career?

Yuli Gurriel joined the Houston Astros in 2016 after defecting from Cuba, along with his little brother.

The son of Cuban baseball star Lourdes Gurriel, he was already touted as the best Cuban baseball talent since 2006. Scouts reportedly believed, if not for his ineligibility, he would have been a first-round draft pick in 2006 itself.

As per Spotrac, he has accumulated $60,259,557 in career earnings. After his defection, Gurriel signed a five-year contract with the Houston Astros in July 2016, worth $47.5 million. He extended his stint with the Astros by one more year after signing an extension in July 2020.

In his first season for the Astros, Yuli Gurriel slashed .299/.332/.486. He also had 18 home runs and 75 RBIs. His stellar showing helped his team go all the way and win the 2017 World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. This World Series win, however, was marred by the sign-stealing scandal, which was being carried out by the players and a few staff members that season.

After lifting his second World Series trophy with the Astros in November, Gurriel hit free agency.

With the acquisition of former Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu on a three-year deal worth $58 million, the doors to an Astros return for Gurriel seem to have been closed.

"When you signed (Jose) Abreu, it 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," general manager Dana Brown said, according to Houston sportscaster Mark Berman.

Yuli Gurriel's next destination?

Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros celebrates his solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 11, 2022, in Houston, Texas.

Gurriel's lack of buyers offering him staggering contracts may be attributed to his late start in the MLB as well as an underwhelming performance by his standards last season. His batting average slid down to .242, from .319 in the previous season, when he bagged a batting title as well as a Gold Glove.

It will be interesting to see where Gurriel ends up this season.