Astros: Yulieski Gurriel Getting the Call Tuesday?

The Astros are fast-tracking Cuban prospect Yulieski Gurriel through the minors. So much so that he could be in the majors by Tuesday.

The Houston Astros are well equipped to compete for a World Series for years to come. The current roster is very young and the team is rich with prospects that could easily be on another team’s roster today. One prospect that may be on the Astros roster by next week is Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel. He’s been flying through the minor league system so far. Is he someone you should add to your roster?

Since entering the Astros farm system, beginning in the Gulf Coast League, Gurriel has played in just nine games. He is 9-for-31 with a home run, nine RBI and a .290 average. He does not have a walk to offset his nine strikeouts.

On defense, Gurriel has only played third base. With the struggles 22-year-old Alex Bregman is going through, his spot may not be safe. He is hitting .174 (12-for-69) with five doubles, four RBI and a 18:7 K:BB ratio. 

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He joined Double-A Corpus Christi last Tuesday and played in just three games. He is 1-for-10 with four strikeouts, yet the Astros front office this he is ready to join the roster. I can’t believe they would give up on Bregman this early into his MLB stint.

If and when Gurriel is called up, he will be the starting third baseman. Bregman will then transition over to left field, which will affect his eligibility next season. The Astros also have Luis Valbuena, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, on the roster as well.

Gurriel has not adjusted to the American way of baseball, evident of the lack of plate discipline. He was a big power hitter in Cuba, hitting 250 home runs and 1018 RBI with a .335 average. If he can recover his power and display that here, he will be a big star in the league.

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Gurriel has been added in five percent of ESPN leagues over the last week, mostly because of this news. He’s owned in 12.3 percent of leagues overall. He hasn’t shown much in the minors, so I’m in the “wait-and-see” category with him. If he can bring the power, then make room for me on the bandwagon.