Cuban defector Yulieski Gurriel spotted at Miami airport
Free agent Yulieski Gurriel, regarded as one of the top Cuban players and a recent defector from his country, was spotted Wednesday at Miami International Airport.
Yulieski Gurriel has been spotted in Miami, according to multiple reports. Stay tuned ... #Cuba pic.twitter.com/1I3G6d1Zpc
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) March 3, 2016
"Gurriel's reason for traveling to the United States and his current whereabouts remain unknown," reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
Gurriel and his 22-year-old brother, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., have been training at a secret location since defecting from Cuba in early February. Both are highly touted by major-league clubs.
The brothers defected while playing in the Dominican Republic during the Caribbean Series and consider themselves ready to make the transition to professional baseball in the big leagues.
"We are ready to play," Yulieski told reporters in February. "We hope it's this year. We want to play as soon as possible."
The 31-year-old Yulieski, who reportedly established residency in Panama and is exempt from international signing guidelines, may sign quicker than his brother, who has yet to establish residency and may need to wait until his 23rd birthday to be exempt from the same signing guidelines.
Yulieski, one of Cuba's more decorated players, hit .488/.569/.858 in 35 games last year with Industriales after playing 15 years in the Series Nacional.
Lourdes, 22, is considered one of Cuba's best prospects and spent the last six seasons in the Series Nacional. The infielder hit .332/.395/.565 in 50 games with Industriales in 2015.