News broke earlier this week that legendary Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gourriel would be defecting to the United States. Gourriel was widely considered as the best player still in Cuba and will be a sought-after commodity among major league teams once eligible for free agency.
Gourriel has Bonds-esque Cuban league stats– a lifetime slash line of .333/.414/.577 with 245 home runs and 999 RBI in 899 games. This includes a 62-game stint in the Japanese league, where he batted .305/.349/.536 in 2014. Gourriel has a reputation akin to royalty in Red Cuba, and will eventually receive a king-size check from a team in America.