What It Means:

His younger brother Lourdes Gourriel, 22, has also reportedly defected. Yulieski is an established international slugger who has represented Cuba in all three World Baseball Classics and spent part of the 2014 campaign in Japan. He should do very well for himself once he is granted MLB free agency. Lourdes, the younger Gourriel brother, has been called Cuba's best young prospect.

Yulieski, a 31-year-old third baseman and second baseman, batted .535 with a 1.615 OPS and 10 home runs over 23 games last season in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He had a 1.009 OPS in 49 games the season before.