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Dec 27 • 3 min read
Bond with teammates, World Series run among Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s reasons to re-sign with Diamondbacks
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was a big part of the Diamondbacks' run to the playoffs and ensuing trip to the World Series in 2023. On Friday, he explained why he wanted to return to Arizona.
-Jesse Friedman
Bond with teammates, World Series run among Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s reasons to re-sign with Diamondbacks
Finances are important in every free-agent signing in Major League Baseball. But it appears that Lourdes Gurriel Jr's decision to re-sign with the Diamondbacks was about more than money.
"I always have my priorities kind of in line," Gurriel told reporters in a Zoom call on Friday. "First and foremost, if my family is comfortable here in the city, the organization. Secondly, if I'm comfortable with the team, the club, the organization, the players and so forth. With all that in mind, that was first and foremost ... the driving force behind me returning."
After coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays in a unique challenge trade last winter, Gurriel and his family felt welcome upon their arrival to Arizona. Throughout the season — which, as outlined in last week's newsletter, turned out to be a milestone year for the D-backs' outfielder in several ways — Gurriel continued to feel valued as a member of the Diamondbacks, including when he briefly stepped away from the team in May to complete his United States citizenship process.
Along the way, Gurriel formed bonds with his new teammates in Arizona. After finalizing his decision to return to the Diamondbacks, his teammates flooded him with messages and social media posts that included photos they had taken together throughout the year. Gurriel said that his relationships in the clubhouse had a "big impact" on his decision to return.
Of course, it did not hurt that the Diamondbacks managed to go all the way to the World Series in 2023 — and they seemingly have a promising shot to return to the postseason next year.
“We were at the doorstep of making history," Gurriel said. "Came up a little bit short of being able to get the ring. It's definitely a huge motivation for me to want to come back and be part of that and get to that ultimate goal.”
Gurriel had a productive 2023 season in the middle of the Diamondbacks' lineup. With a 108 OPS+, he was eight percent above league average offensively, and he turned in his best year ever stats-wise on defense.
When Gurriel initially departed in free agency, he left the Diamondbacks without any right-handed options in the outfield. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Friday that Gurriel's natural fit on the roster and his makeup, including his work ethic and his leadership in the clubhouse, made him a "priority" for the team in free agency.
Now, Gurriel re-joins an outfield mix that includes Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Jake McCarthy and Dominic Fletcher. Gurriel will likely get the majority of his reps in left field, with the team still on the hunt for a another bat to round out the lineup.
He also figures to be a key mentor for some of the team's younger players, as he was in 2023.
"I kind of had a little bit of a exchange of words with some of the players, like Gabi Moreno and [Geraldo] Perdomo and [Luis] Frías," Gurriel said. "I joked with them that they're not getting rid of me that easily now.
"The thing that really impressed me about them is that they're young players that listen. They want to learn. It motivates me to be able to continue to help them. And they want to be helped."
Throughout the year, Gurriel seemed to share a unique bond with Moreno, his former Blue Jays teammate who came over with him in the trade.
Gurriel and Moreno were in communication earlier in the offseason, when Moreno dyed his hair green, seemingly a partial imitation of the bright purple hair that Gurriel has become known for.
"I think I was one of the first ones that he sent a photo to of what he had done," Gurriel said of Moreno's green-hair look. "I kind of teased him, saying, 'Hey, why did you copy me?'"
"Hey, you're purple," Moreno told him in response. "I'm green."
Curiously, around the time that Gurriel's re-signing was made official on Friday morning, Moreno shared a photo on his Instagram story of what appeared to be an updated — and familiar — hair look.
Perhaps, with Gurriel coming back to town, Moreno decided to copy his friend after all.
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The PHNX Daily brings you the top sports stories in Arizona every day, delivered right to your inbox! Follow along with all of your beloved AZ sports teams as we bring unique, free content featuring your favorite players, coaches and personalities from throughout the state's sports scene. You can also catch up on the most recent stories from your favorite PHNX writers, check out the most recent podcast from our vast offering of shows, and find all the information needed to see which of your teams are playing on any given day, what time they start, and where you can watch or listen to them. It's all free, delivered to you bright and early each and every morning!