Former AL batting champ Yuli Gurriel finds new home

Yuli Gurriel Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Former AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel finds new home

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Mar 9, 2023 8:21 PM ET

Former American League batting champion, Yuli Gurriel seems to have found a new home.

According to 'The Athletic''s Ken Rosenthal, Gurriel is set to make the jump to the National League, reaching an agreement on a non-roster deal Thursday with the Miami Marlins.

Free-agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel in agreement with Marlins, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 9, 2023

To make a difference in Miami, the 38-year-old will need to bounce back from a rough 2022 which saw the veteran slash .242/.288/.360, down from .319/.383/.462 in the summer of 2021.

While there was initial speculation that Gurriel could return to the Astros -- where he had played each of his seven MLB seasons -- the Astros opted to sign Jose Abreu in free agency, more or less closing the door on a renewal of vows with the Astros

Over 801 games with the AL juggernaut, Gurriel batted .284/.328/.448 with 94 home runs and 435 RBI. Along the way he picked up a batting title, a Gold Glove and two World Series rings.

Moving on, now, Gurriel joins a new squad in Miami, one which will be have experience, if nothing else. On top of adding Gurriel, the Marlins also signed infielder Jose Iglesias on Thursday. Gurriel and Iglesias join the long list of veterans the club has brought in this offseason, including Jean Segura, Luis Arraez, Johnny Cueto, Matt Barnes, and AJ Puk.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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