Yuli Gurriel shares emotional farewell message to Houston Astros

After signing a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins, first baseman Yuli Gurriel penned a farewell message to the Houston Astros.

The Houston Astros celebrated their second World Series title after they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games this past season. Even though the team did lose players like Justin Verlander in free agency, they did make a big move in signing former Chicago White Sox first baseman and 2020 American League MVP Jose Abreu. The move essentially spelled the end of Yuli Gurriel’s tenure in Houston.

That much was confirmed this past week when Gurriel signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins.

This weekend, Gurriel posted a series of photos on Instagram, where he sent a farewell message to the Astros organization, his teammates, and the fanbase.

You can see Gurriel’s post at this link

Yuli Gurriel pens farewell message to Astros

"“To the City of Houston and all the Astros’ fans around the world… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. You welcomed my family with kindness and warmth. Your constant support inspired my teammates and I every single day. Together, we celebrated two World Championships!“To my teammates, I could have never imagined how amazing the past seven years of my life were going to be. I am forever grateful and love each and every one of you. WE ARE FAMILIA.“I am so blessed!“De corazón, muchas gracias.”"

Gurriel signed with the Astros back in 2016 and made his major league debut that season, where he became a mainstay on the roster.

In 2021, Gurriel won the AL batting title with a .319 average and his first Gold Glove award. That very year, he recorded an .846 OPS, 15 home runs, 81 RBI, 83 runs scored, and 169 hits in 143 games.

This past season, however, Gurriel’s numbers dropped off. In 146 regular-season games, Gurriel slashed .242/.288/.360 while recording eight home runs, 53 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 132 hits. But once the postseason came around, Gurriel stepped up, recording a .347 batting average, a .850 OPS, two home runs, four RBI, four runs scored, and 17 hits in 12 games. In the World Series, Gurriel suffered a right knee injury.

Gurriel is now a part of the Marlins organization, but he wanted to share his gratitude to the Astros, the city of Houston, and the fanbase.