Former Batting Champ 'Could Be Saying Goodbye' To Royals Per Insider

The Royals likely will make some changes this winter

Apr 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; A bucket of baseballs sits on the field prior to the game between the San Francisco Giants against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals recently made an intriguing move.

Kansas City is fighting for a playoff spot right now and looks like it will end up landing one. The Royals currently have a 4 1/2 game lead on the Boston Red Sox for the final American League Wild Card spot with just a few weeks to go in the regular season.

The Royals are in a good spot but recently got some bad news as first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino currently is out with an injury. In response, the Royals recently landed former batting champion Yuli Gurriel. MLB.com's Will Leitch doesn't think he will stick around in Kansas City for long, though, and had him on his list of players who "could be saying goodbye" after the season ends.

"Yuli Gurriel, 1B, Royals," Leitch said. "Current age: 40. Gurriel didn’t come over from Cuba until he was 32, which is why you probably didn't realize he’s already 40. However, he has played in four World Series and came away with rings in two of them, all with the (Houston Astros), where he was in the lineup nearly every day for seven years.

"He fell off a cliff a little bit after winning a Gold Glove Award and leading the (American League) in batting in 2021, but he was just added to a (Major League Baseball) roster for the first time this year by the Royals, who have been hammered by injuries. He left his second game with his new team with hamstring tightness, but as long as that does not prove serious, Gurriel could add to his ring collection in October."

Don't expect to see Gurriel back with the Royals in 2025 although hopefully he will be able to help down the stretch.

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