Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gourriel has signed with the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars, according to a report from Nikkan Sports. Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passed along the news. Gourriel, now 29, has long been one of Cuba's best players and has been rumored as a possibility to defect in the past. However, he'll now utilize a new loophole to show off his talents in Japan and make a little money in the process.

Cuban shortstop Yuliesky Gourriel said Tuesday that he'd love to play in the majors someday. The 29-year-old Gourriel, a top pro in Cuba for a decade now, has never attempted to defect and isn't doing so now. His hope is that another path to MLB is opened for Cuban players someday. In the meantime, he's seeking permission to play in Mexico, much like fellow Cuban star Alfredo Despaigne did last year. "I'm happy for all the Cubans in the Major Leagues and we follow them even though we don't have direct contact with them," Gourriel said. "In Cuba, we play a good level of baseball, but when they leave the country, they seem to elevate their game. Maybe we don't have best training conditions or equipment, but once they leave Cuba, they explode. Me, I'm just waiting on permission."