Kuty: Yankees Unlikely to Win Bidding for Yulieski Gourriel

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports that the New York Yankees are unlikely to land Cuban superstar Yulieski Gourriel, citing the large contract he will likely land as the main deterrent.

Kuty’s information comes from “a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking” who kept their identity anonymous as a condition for divulging the report. While it is always strange to hear one of the richest franchises in all of professional sports cry poverty, this news comes as no surprise for anyone following the team for the past two years.

The Yankees did not sign a major league free agent this offseason for the first time in their history. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has been very open about his desire to get under the luxury tax, which will enable the team to avoid paying a 50% premium on all of their signings. That means New York is much more likely to work on lowering their payroll in the immediate future rather than make any additions.

This idea makes sense from a business perspective, and we have found out that Hal is first and foremost a businessman. However, it does mean accepting a mediocre product on the field for at least the next season or two. Yankees fans are not used to ownership prioritizing financial decisions over baseball ones, but that is unabashedly what this is.

Related Story: Yulieski Gourriel Granted Free Agency by MLB

Long seen as the top player in Cuba, Yulieski Gourriel has “lightning-fast hands and classic third base tools with arm strength, body control and plus power,” according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. He seems like a lock to become a number-three-type hitter in the majors. While the team already has significant commitments to third baseman Chase Headley and second baseman Starlin Castro on the books, they are not the caliber of players that should prevent the Yankees from going out and signing a potential star that could reignite their playoff hopes.

In the short term, Gourriel could fill New York’s opening at first base, and long term he could give them some flexibility to shake up their mediocre infield. He is reportedly a tremendous athlete, so even at 32 he should have several prime years remaining. It isn’t surprising to hear that the Yankees are unlikely to sign Gourriel, but that doesn’t take any of the sting out of it considering what he could add to the team this year and beyond.