Yuli

Gurriel

Gurriel is all but assuredly going to be looking at another minor league deal, but he’ll test the waters and look for a situation that might provide another MLB deal. The 40-year-old’s not likely to see a robust market at this stage.

Gurriel has been booted from San Diego’s roster after batting .111 (4-for-36) with one extra-base hit and three RBI in 16 contests. The 40-year-old veteran figures to pass through waivers unclaimed and could wind up back at Triple-A El Paso as emergency depth.

It was a grounder into the perfect spot to get past shortstop Orlando Arcia. We’re pretty sure the rest of the NL contenders were overjoyed to see the Padres keep Gurriel and Martín Maldonado as part-timers this year, but even at 40, Gurriel is still a fair source of singles. This one was clutch.

With left-hander Chris Sale on the mound, the Padres will turn to Gurriel at designated hitter instead of Gavin Sheets, who figures to start there against most right-handed pitchers. The 41-year-old Gurriel had a strong spring training, hitting .306/.342/.472 in 38 plate appearances. He figures to be on the weak side of the platoon, so he doesn’t carry much fantasy value.

No surprises here as these moves were expected. All three veterans will open the regular season with spots on San Diego’s bench, but won’t make much of a fantasy impact, if any.

The 40-year-old infielder is expected to officially be added to the team’s roster on Monday as they have a bit of shuffling to do. Gurriel did a nice job in Cactus League play, hitting .286 (10-for-35) with a homer and six RBI. The expectation is that he will see most of his at-bats against left-handed pitching, so it’s going to be hard for him to carve out much mixed league fantasy value.

Gurriel took Brewers starter Logan Henderson deep in the second inning as he continues to make a serious push for a spot on San Diego’s season-opening roster in a bench role. The 40-year-old first baseman might be able to carve out some part-time DH at-bats, but he’s not going to make much of a fantasy impact, regardless of his role.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports Gurriel will make $1.25 million if he’s in the majors. The 40-year-old veteran first baseman got into 18 contests last year for Kansas City and figures to have a decent shot at making San Diego’s season-opening lineup in a backup role behind Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth. He’ll compete in spring training with some combination of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Tirso Ornelas and Eguy Rosario for regular DH at-bats. There’s very little fantasy impact here, but his presence gives the Padres some insurance in case Ornelas isn’t ready for the big-league spotlight.

It was an encouraging sign to see Gurriel back in Kansas City’s lineup on Friday evening following a two-game absence due to a mild hamstring strain. It’ll be Salvador Perez taking a turn at first base with Freddy Fermin handling the catching duties. The 40-year-old figures to continue playing everyday at first base for the Royals down the home stretch. There’s minimal appeal here for fantasy managers outside of extremely deep mixed leagues.

No surprise here after Gurriel left Monday’s showdown against Cleveland with a mild hamstring strain. The 40-year-old veteran is likely going to need a couple days off to rest and recover before he’s an option again for Kansas City at the cold corner.