Breaking: Padres Sign 2x World Series Champ & Gold Glover

He only played 18 games all of last season, and now enters 2025 at the age of 40, but the former two-time World Series champion and Gold Glove first baseman Yuli Gurriel has been given a shot by the San Diego Padres this season, signing a minor league deal.

Yuli Gurriel to the Padres. $1.25M if in majors plus $1M incentives. MLB camp invite.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 17, 2025

Per Jon Heyman, Gurriel's deal will pay him $1.25M if he's in majors plus another $1M in incentives. He gets an invite to big league spring training.

After getting a late start to his major league career at the age of 32, the Cuban-born Gurriel won two World Series as the Houston Astros starting first baseman, and won a batting title and a Gold Glove as well in 2021.

But after hitting an AL-best .319 that season, with a .383 on-base and .846 OPS, his offense severely declined for the next three seasons, leading to his minuscule 18-game appearance in the big leagues last year, with the Kansas City Royals.

The Padres, however, must feel that Gurriel still has something to give.

He hasn't played a full season at first base since 2022, and at age of 40, he likely won't be counted on to play a major role. The Friars have three-time batting champion Luis Arraez at first, but Gurriel could get some at-bats there, and at DH — if he makes the Padres' big league roster.

In his 9-year career, he has a .280 batting mark, with a .764 OPS and a better-than-average 107 OPS+.