The Diamondbacks made a surprise run to the Fall Classic this past year, thanks to timely hitting and pitching. Several Arizona players hit the market after this past year, but one notable name is coming back. Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is reportedly re-signing with the Diamondbacks on a three-year deal.
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A Look at Gurriel
Last December, the Diamondbacks traded C/OF Daulton Varsho from their glut of left-handed hitting outfielders for catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Fast forward 12 months later, and the trade has worked out well for the D-Backs.
While Moreno developed into an all-around talent in his first full season, Gurriel Jr. got back on track and helped power Arizona to a postseason birth.
A year after Gurriel hit a career-low five home runs across 121 games (493 PA), the 30-year-old hit a career-high 24 home runs and 61 extra-base hits. The 2022 campaign was strange statistically for Gurriel Jr. as he did get a fair amount of doubles but just wasn’t barreling up balls. This past year, though, was different.
At the plate, Gurriel Jr. can tend to get aggressive at times. However, the 30-year-old has impressive bat-to-ball skills to go along with above-average power. He might not walk a whole lot — his career BB% of 5.7% is well below league average — but he doesn’t strike out much either.
Not to mention, Gurriel Jr. is actually a pretty good breaking ball hitter. The returning Diamondback not only has the bat speed, but also good vision and the ability to stay back on breaking balls that sit in the zone. Ten of Gurriel Jr.’s 24 home runs were off the breaking ball this year.
Defensively, Gurriel Jr.’s arm strength and range ranked above average in 2023 by Statcast. The 30-year-old primarily played left field when he wasn’t the D-Backs’ designated hitter.
Per ESPN, the Diamondbacks re-signed Gurriel Jr. to a three-year deal worth $42MM. It also reportedly comes with an opt-out after 2025 and a team option for 2027.
Analysis
The Diamondbacks offense came through in the postseason, but Arizona had holes to fill heading into the winter. Namely, another starter to pair with the top three, a potential replacement for Gurriel Jr. should he have re-signed elsewhere, plus a power-hitting infielder.
Thus far, the D-Backs have checked those boxes. Arizona upgraded at third with Eugenio Suarez, signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to give the D-Backs a formidable trio alongside Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, and re-signed Gurriel Jr.
Gurriel Jr. doesn’t do one thing spectacularly. However, he’s a solid all-around hitter with above-average power that fit very well in Arizona’s outfield rotation. The 30-year-old gave the D-Backs much-needed pop given that Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy are not power hitters.
With Gurriel Jr. back in Arizona for 2024, the D-Backs now have five hitters who hit at least 22 home runs last season — Gurriel Jr., Suarez, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Corbin Carroll — in their tentative lineup. That’s the same number of hitters their NL West rival Los Angeles has on their roster.