Yuli Gurriel serves as hero, inspiration for Astros’ multitude of Cuban prospects
Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel takes a bow after homering off Framber Valdez during a spring training session of batting practice.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — One February afternoon, amid a lockout trudging through its third month, Yuli Gurriel’s kindred spirit sat on a folding chair beneath a tent. Most Americans cannot comprehend Gurriel’s gravitas in Cuba. One glimpse of Roilan Machandy offered an apt appreciation.
Robaina stopped buttoning his jersey after turning 9 years old and realizing his idol is a rebel. Cuban baseball has strict rules governing its uniforms. Umpires are trained to make sure players abide by them. Gurriel did not comply. The Astros are the first team since the 1960s to employ at least 20 Cuban players, according to Frances Romero, an author and longtime baseball reporter who covers Cuban major leaguers. Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez and Aledmys Díaz are contributors on a major league club contending for a pennant. Touted outfield prospect Pedro León, ranked anywhere from second to fourth in their system, is Cuban. Houston’s latest international signing class contained 15 players. Three are Cuban.
Gonzalez and Ocampo scouted Alvarez heavily in the Dominican Republic, where a majority of Cuban defectors land once establishing residency elsewhere. The Los Angeles Dodgers eventually signed Alvarez. On the advice of Gonzalez and Ocampo, the Astros acquired him in 2016 for reliever Josh Fields.
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