Free agent slugger Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is headed back to Arizona after agreeing a 3 year, $42M contract the club announced. The deal also features an opt out after the 2nd season.
Gurriel Jr. hit .261 with a career high 24 home runs and 82 RBIs across 145 games with the Diamondbacks in 2023, his first year with the team. The 30 year old was also named to his first career All-Star game with the D-Backs last season.
The Cuban national originally signed a 7 year, $22M deal with the Toronto Blue Jays after defecting with his brother Yuli back in 2016. A career .279 hitter, Gurriel Jr. was dealt to Arizona last offseason alongside catcher Gabriel Moreno in exchange for Dalton Varsho.
With a weaker than usual free agent class this year, the right handed bat was viewed as one of the better hitting options on the market. Gurriel Jr. is expected to serve as the Diamondbacks everyday left fielder alongside Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas.
With the deal, alongside the acquisitions of Eduardo Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez, Arizona’s payroll is now sitting in the realm of $140M heading into 2024. A figure well north of their 2022 opening day payroll of $75M.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: M Sgt. Raheem Moore. This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.