Plenty of players of Cuban heritage will see action in the majors to open the season, 35 to be exact have made Opening Day roster with their prospective teams. The biggest story of the spring was 40-year-old infielder Yuli Gurriel signing a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres and then earning a spot on the team’s roster.
Gurriel will be on the club after a solid spring . The native of Sancti Spíritus, Cuba will now be entering his tenth major league season with his fourth club and will be making his ninth Opening Day appearance. This preseason Gurriel hit .294 with a homer and six runs batted in for the friars thereby cementing a spot on the squad when the season commences.
Gurriel signed a minor league deal with a the San Diego Padres that included an invitation to spring training in February. By making the club his salary will be 1.25M and another 1M in incentives. The colleague Francys Romero was the first to report the transaction. Over his nine-year career on the grand stage the infielder hits .281 with 98 homeruns, 463 runs batted in and slashes. 326/.440/.726. Gurriel added a veteran presence that augmented a young Royals in the playoffs last season.
In probably the most heartfelt story of the spring, Cuban-American catcher JC Escarra has made the Opening Day roster with the Yankees after a torrid preseason with the bat. The native of Hialeah, Florida not only excelled with the bat hitting a solid .333, but also was very solid on defense from the catching position.
This winter he won the LIDOM’s batting title with the Águilas Cibaeñas setting the stage for his spectacular spring and his rise with the New York Yankees. Escarra’s story is one of perseverance and sheer determination. The Miamian is the example of hard work always pays off and the old cliché, ” if you believe you can achieve. “
Escarra, who can also play in the infield and outfield could see a lot of at-bats due to the multitude of injuries suffered by New York’s position players this offseason. Not only will he be Austin Wells’ backup, but that sweet left-handed uppercut swing might also earn him some time as the team’s designated hitter.
After a solid spring training in which he slashed .286/.375/.571/.946 with four homeruns and 10 runs batted in with the Los Angeles Angels Jorge Soler is looking to head into the season with some momentum. “El Crudo ” as he is known by the Cuban faithful will more than likely be the teams cleanup hitter for the upcoming season.
Last season the slugger hit .241 with 21 longballs and 64 RBIs with the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants. The outfielder is only nine roundtrippers of reaching 200 over his major league career and three short of 200 career doubles as well. Soler is looking to build on three straight 20 homerun seasons.
Cubans on MLB rosters:
1.Lourdes Gurriel Jr LF (Arizona)
2. Daysbel Hernández RHP (Atlanta)
3. Raisel Iglesias RHP (Atlanta)
4. Yennier Cano RHP (Baltimore)
5. Cionel Pérez LHP (Baltimore)
6. Aroldis Chapman LHP (Boston)
7. Luis Robert OF (White Sox)
8. Miguel Vargas IF (White Sox)
9. Yordan Álvarez OF-DH (Houston)
10. Dairon Blanco OF (Kansas City)
11. Yoan Moncada IF (Angels)
12. Jorge Soler OF (Angels)
13. Andy Pagés OF (Dodgers)
14. Néstor Cortés Jr LHP (Milwaukee)
15. Yuli Gurriel IF (Padres)
16. José Iglesias IF (Padres)
17. Adrián Morejón LHP (Padres)
18. Randy Arozarena OF (Mariners)
19. Yandy Díaz IF (Tampa Bay)
20. Adolis García OF (Tampa Bay)
21. Yariel Rodríguez RHP (Toronto)
22. Orlando Ribalta RHP (Washington)
23. Andy Ibáñez IF (Detroit)
Cuban-Americans on MLB rosters:
1. Tristón Casas 1B (Boston)
2. Romy González IF (Boston)
3. Nick Martínez RHP (Cincinnati)
4. Zach Neto (Angels)
5. Nick Fortes C (Marlins)
6. JC Escarra C (Yankees)
7. Carlos Rodón LHP (Yankees)
8. Nick Castellanos OF (Philadelphia)
9. David Villar IF (San Francisco)
10. Ryan Fernández RHP ( St. Louis)
11.Nolan Arenado IF (St. Louis)
12.Alex Faedo RHP ( Tampa Bay)