Former Cuban star Yulieski Gourriel, ranked as the country’s best player by Baseball America last year, has made no secret about his love of the New York Yankees. He’s told the media on multiple occasions that it’s his dream to play alongside his favorite player Alex Rodriguez in pinstripes. The 31-year-old infielder defected in February after slashing .488/.569/.858 in 160 PAs during the 2015 Cuban National Series. In his 15 season professional career, Gourriel has hit .335/.417/.580 split between Cuba and Japan.
Yankees closer and Cuban national Aroldis Chapman recently revealed that he had been contacted by his countryman, who inquired about his experience with the club.