Cuban star Yulieski Gourriel will participate in a private workout hosted by the Yankees next week at their spring training facility in Tampa, Fla., according to George King of the New York Post.
Gourriel, 32, who was recently declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, played 15 seasons between Cuba and Japan, and hit .335 with 250 home runs and 1,018 runs batted in. Considered as a third baseman, Gourriel has also played second base, and could be open to playing at first, per King’s report.
While Gourriel has told the media that his favorite team is the Yankees and that his favorite player is Alex Rodriguez, Gourriel’s New York connection is Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, another Cuban national team defector.