Astros’ Yuli Gurriel sheds 15 pounds, aims for durability after 2020 struggles

Yuli Gurriel was one in a trio of usually great Astros hitters who produced at a below-average rate in the shortened 2020 season. But unlike Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, Gurriel’s struggles only worsened in the postseason.

Between the 57 games he played in the regular season and the team’s 13 postseason games, Gurriel batted a dreadful .212/.269/.337 in 283 plate appearances. The first baseman’s lack of production raised obvious questions. Was this the start of his decline or a small-sample fluke that could be chalked up to the pandemic and the oddities of the 2020 season?

Those answers can’t be gleaned until the regular season, but Gurriel acknowledged Wednesday in his first public comments of spring training that he was out of shape last season. He also said the possibility of becoming a free agent at season’s end weighed on his mind throughout the year, though ultimately he attributed his struggles more to the physical side.

“After about the first month of the season I felt pretty exhausted,” Gurriel said through an interpreter.

Gurriel, who turns 37 in June, spent his offseason working to improve his physical condition. After a three-month diet, he reported to spring training about 15 pounds lighter, he said. Given his age, it’s plausible that the start-and-stop nature of the preparation for last season negatively impacted him more than most. But now he’s had a closer-to-normal offseason and this spring training will be the standard length. He will need to be a lot more durable in a season that’s scheduled to be 102 games longer than last year’s.

His 2020 numbers support the rough timeline Gurriel offered for when he became worn down. At the end of August, Gurriel was batting .292/.348/.517. In September, he batted a dismal .154/.168/.2019. For the playoffs, he was 5-for-44 with six walks and zero extra-base hits.

“I feel a ton better physically in comparison to where I was at last year,” Gurriel said. “The biggest difference is I had the ability and the time to train physically, which I didn’t have last year because of the pandemic. Basically two weeks after the season ended I was beginning my physical training this offseason. I had a lot of time to get ready physically.”

Gurriel didn’t have to worry about free agency in the offseason. In one of the strangest-timed contract extensions in recent memory, he and the Astros agreed to a one-year, $7-million deal for 2021 on Sept. 29. Gurriel is set to make $6.5 million in base salary this season, and the Astros will have a decision to make on him at season’s end: pick up his $8-million team option for 2022 or buy out his contract for only $500,000.

By season’s end, the team’s decision could be relatively obvious. If Gurriel defies the aging curve like he had for so long and produces offensively, his run in Houston that dates to 2016 might continue. He’s one of the best defensive first basemen in the AL. The question is whether his offense at a position where offense is a necessity will be good enough for the front office to justify the $8-million guarantee for his age-38 season.

The Astros might benefit from giving Gurriel some designated hitter starts throughout this season, but Yordan Alvarez’s lack of defensive value will make that difficult. Utility infielder Aledmys Díaz is a good backup first baseman if he can find a way to stay healthy. Taylor Jones comes into the year as depth, though his defense and power potential give him major-league upside.

(Photo: Michael Zagaris / Oakland Athletics / Getty Images)