Lourdes Gurriel Jr. enjoyed a strong season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 and has decided to make the desert his home for at least a few more years. The outfielder, who was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays last winter, became key contributor for the Diamondbacks during the regular season and through the club’s run to the World Series.

The 30-year-old Gurriel was among the strongest bats on the free agent market, offering a solid track record with a blend of contact and power.

Here’s a closer look at the deal and what it means.

The deal: Gurriel Jr. and the Diamondbacks agreed on a three-year, $42-million contract.

The runners up: The Boston Red Sox were among the teams said to be interested in Gurriel.

The player: The Blue Jays traded Gurriel Jr. and catcher Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks just before Christmas last year for outfielder Daulton Varsho. The Blue Jays were the only major-league club Gurriel Jr. had known, with the outfielder having spent six years in the organization following his defection from Cuba.

He arrived in Arizona coming off a season in which his power was sapped by a wrist injury that limited him to just five home runs in 2022. He underwent off-season surgery for that and responded by producing arguably his best campaign in the majors. The left-fielder earned his first all-star selection and recorded career highs in home runs (24), doubles (35), hits (144) and games played (145).

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As well, it’s worth noting that Gurriel improved defensively last season, according to advanced metrics. Most impressively, his 14 defensive runs saved ranked second among all left-fielders to Steven Kwan’s 16.

The fit: The Diamondbacks have assembled a strong position player nucleus featuring Moreno, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and rookie of the year Corbin Carroll, among others. The club has also shown its intent to improve by trading for third baseman Eugenio Suárez and signing left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.

Gurriel Jr. fits in nicely with that core, offering a consistent, dependable bat that pretty much produces what you expect of it. He’s also garnered praise over his career for his strong clubhouse presence, which was no doubt on display during the Snakes’ surprising post-season run.

Next year will be Gurriel Jr.’s age 30 season and it’s not a stretch to expect him to produce at his current level for the duration of his contract. His expected stats have remained consistent over recent seasons, with nothing to suggest a dip in production would be imminent.

When the Diamondbacks made their trade with the Blue Jays last winter, many people wrote Gurriel Jr. off as a one-year rental, suggesting that Moreno was the centrepiece of the trade. While that perception will likely always remain, Gurriel and the club have turned out to be quite a nice fit.

The market: MLB Trade Rumors predicted Gurriel Jr. would fetch a contract worth four years and $54 million. He did not beat that in term or dollars.

The next domino: It makes sense that Gurriel Jr.’s former Blue Jays teammate Teoscar Hernandez could be among the next dominoes to fall. Also a corner outfielder, Hernandez represents another consistent bat, albeit one with more power potential.

Gurriel Jr. plants down roots in the desert with Diamondbacks

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