Source: Astros agree to $47.5 million deal with Yulieski Gurriel

ByABC News
July 15, 2016, 8:00 PM

— -- Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel has agreed to a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Houston Astros, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden and multiple reports.

MLB.com first reported the agreement Friday. The Astros have called a news conference for Saturday afternoon in Houston.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch, in Seattle where the Astros were opening the second-half of the season, said he didn't want to formally comment on the reports about Gurriel.

"Until things are official I'm not going to comment on it," Hinch said. "I will say that we worked him out, we had interest in him. We've been all over the background check and things like that. We'll have to wait for the official announcement."

Gurriel, who defected from Cuba in February, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball last month. He drew interest from multiple teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets.

Gurriel, 32, represented Cuba in three World Baseball Classic tournaments and also was a member of Cuba's Olympic team in 2008.

Projected as either a third baseman or second baseman in the majors, Gurrielhad been training in South Florida with his younger brother, Lourdes Gurriel, who also defected in February.

Gurriel was declared a free agent last month. He was an Olympian in 2004 and participated in the World Baseball Classic three times. MLB.com reported that Gurriel's family changed the spelling of its last name within the past two years. His name was spelled Gourriel during the Olympics and WBC previously.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.