By Alex Fernandez Fernandez
We were all surprised by the news: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He will go into his final year of his contract at Arizona. A change that, in purely sporting matters, is far from the enormous prospects of the Cuban that he signed with Toronto in November 2016 for about 22 million dollars.
However, just before heading to free agency in 2023, the outfielder will secure $5.4 million, his best year in terms of salary since joining the Big Show.
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We must bear in mind that over the past five years in the organization, his salary has increased, although he has not received any awards or bonuses. We then have that in 2018 Lourdes Jr. (also known as the other brother of the Piña Power duo) won a million dollars for his work. Later in the 2019 season he added 500k more than the previous figure. In 2020, everyone was alarmed by the impact of Covid-19, his sports income was $925,926; But for the following year it went back up to three million and 500 thousand dollars, even in the season that just ended, those from Toronto paid out the figure of 4.5 million, no big deal.
In total over five seasons and according to official statistics, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. filled her checkbook with $11,425,926. And if we add 2023 income, she would reach $16,825,826.
Experts say the Diamondbacks’ move could give them time to evaluate the franchise’s younger talented players to see if they can improve in terms of performance. So having Gurriel Jr. at the end could be a trump card commercially.
Gurriel Jr. posted a .291/.343/.400 (AVG/OBP/SLG) offensive line yielding 132 hits in 453 at bats, including 32 doubles, one triple and five home runs. He drove in 52 runs, struck out as many, walked 31 and struck out 83 times. He issued a .743 OPS. All in 2022.
Arizona bought one of the better prospects, after adding Venezuelan wide receiver, Gabriel Moreno, as well as Gurriel Jr. However, it had to send one of its most desirable jewels to the Blue Jays: Daulton Varsho. Arizona will need to do a lot of rowing if it wants to get even closer to the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres in its West Division in the National League. The Rattles’ record was just 74 wins to 88 losses.
