Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is "very happy" after signing with Arizona

January 1, 2024

The Cuban outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball (MLB), Lourdes Gurriel Jr., assured MLB's website that he feels "very happy" to sign with the "rattlesnakes" for a new season of the best baseball in the world.

"Truly yes, very happy, to be able to return and continue being part of this great group. I always felt very grateful to the team, for the support they gave me from the beginning. The reception they gave me and what they did for me during the season, with the citizenship matter," he acknowledged.

Gurriel joined the D-backs in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023 offseason and was a key piece in the lineup during the "rattlesnakes'" surprising run to this year's World Series.

"I felt like family, I felt very good with the coaches and players, with the staff. I felt very comfortable and my family felt the same way, so it was an important part in making this decision. The players wrote to me right away when they found out the news and that had a big impact on me," he added.

Regarding the goals for the upcoming season, the Spiritu Sancti patrol player said that "last year we were at the doors of achieving something historic and I want to continue that."

"One of the motivations is that we were left wanting and tasting what it would be like to reach the ring, so it excites me a lot to continue being part of this. Also the fact of knowing that the team wanted me to continue being part of the project. I'm grateful to them for that," he concluded.

In mid-December, Cuban player Lourdes Gurriel Jr., one of the figures of the Arizona Diamondbacks in this year's World Series against the Texas Rangers, accepted a million-dollar three-year contract with the "desert rattlesnakes" and will be back in Arizona, according to MLB sources.

In this regard, reporter David Brandt published on the Major Leagues website that the Spiritu Sancti outfielder, the youngest of the Gurriel brothers, signed his return to Arizona for three years and 42 million dollars.

Cuban-American sports journalist Francys Romero also confirmed on his Facebook profile Gurriel's million-dollar contract with Arizona.

"OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. signed with Arizona Diamondbacks according to sources close to me. The deal is 42 million for 3 years, with an exit option after the second year. Pending physical exam, which is expected to be in the coming days," Romero wrote.

The Cuban came to the Major Leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays after signing a seven-year, 22 million-dollar contract following his escape from the island in 2016, along with his brother Yuli Gurriel, and to date is considered a good investment in MLB.