PHOENIX — Piña Power is returning to Chase Field after the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a new three-year contract with free agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., 12Sports can confirm.
Gurriel's contract, which is pending a physical, is for three years and $42 million, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The deal has an opt-out after the 2025 season and a club option for the 2027 season.
Gurriel came to Arizona with catcher Gabriel Moreno just about one year ago in the Christmas-week deal that sent utilityman Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Gurriel and his purple hair quickly became a fan favorite, even prompting the team to give out purple wigs to fans over the summer.
The Cuban outfielder ended up playing in 145 games during the regular season (a career-high), helping the D-backs advance to the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2017. He slashed .261/.309/.463 with 24 home runs (a career-high) and 82 RBI. His 3.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) was also a career-high and was 7th on the D-backs in 2023, according to Baseball Reference.
Gurriel also had a great season defensively. His eight outfield assists was tied for fifth in MLB among left fielders, according to Baseball Reference and his 14 defensive runs saved was second in the Majors among left fielders in 2023 behind Cleveland's Steven Kwan, according to Fangraphs.
The 30-year-old also played a key role in the 2023 playoff run that saw the D-backs sweep the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series, sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series and beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Championship Series before being beaten by the Texas Rangers in the World Series. It was the D-backs' second NL Pennant and first appearance in the World Series since 2001.
Gurriel had a .273 batting average in the playoffs with 18 hits, three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.
Gurriel is the second free agent signing for the D-backs this winter. The D-backs also signed free agent pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to bolster their starting rotation.
Arizona also traded for third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners in November.
The D-backs will open Spring Training play on Feb. 23, 2024, against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale.
Tickets for D-backs Spring Training Games are now on sale. You can buy them here.
The D-backs will open the 2024 season at Chase Field on March 28 when they host the Rockies.
Tickets for all D-backs 2024 games can be purchased here.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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