December 22: The A’s have formally introduced Urshela’s take care of the membership.
December 21: In keeping with Jon Heyman of the New York Submit, Urshela’s take care of the Athletics ensures him $2.15MM with a further $400K accessible in incentives.
December 19: The Athletics are in settlement with Gio Urshela on a free agent contract, experiences Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Monetary phrases for the Rep 1 Baseball consumer aren’t reported. The signing is pending a bodily. Martín Gallegos of MLB.com experiences that it’s a one-year deal, which seemingly confirms that it’ll be an enormous league contract.
If it’s an MLB contract, Urshela may get first crack on the third base job. A’s normal supervisor David Forst has mentioned on a number of events that the entrance workplace was in search of solutions on the sizzling nook. They explored at the least one commerce chance, touching base with the Phillies relating to Alec Bohm, however balked at Philadelphia’s reported ask for star nearer Mason Miller.
The free agent choices on the place had been restricted. Alex Bregman is the one clear common. He’d nearly definitely be outdoors the membership’s value vary even when he had been prepared to play in Sacramento for the subsequent three seasons. It’s not clear if Gleyber Torres is prepared to signal as a 3rd baseman. Yoán Moncada, Josh Rojas, Jorge Polanco and Urshela had been among the many rebound candidates who might be had for an reasonably priced one-year deal.
Urshela, 33, is coming off a second consecutive middling season. He break up the yr between the Tigers and Braves. He mixed for 461 plate appearances and hit .250/.286/.361 with 9 residence runs. Urshela’s plus contact expertise stay intact, however his energy has dropped off sharply lately. His slugging proportion has trended down in two straight seasons. The veteran has by no means taken many walks, so the dip in energy leaves him with one thing of an empty batting common. Because the begin of 2023, the righty-hitting infielder carries a .266/.300/.365 line with 11 longballs in practically 700 journeys to the plate.
Whereas the bat has tailed off, Urshela stays a succesful defender. Defensive Runs Saved gave him precisely league common marks in slightly over 900 innings this previous season. Statcast credited him with two runs above common. Though DRS has traditionally taken a extra favorable view of Urshela’s glove than Statcast has, each metrics really feel he’s been slightly bit above par over the previous two seasons.
Assuming Urshela cracks the large league roster, the A’s may deploy him at both nook infield place. Third base stays his main spot, however he has topped 100 innings at first base in every of the final two years. Tyler Soderstrom ought to get nearly all of the taking part in time there. Urshela may transfer throughout the diamond in opposition to left-handed pitching if the A’s wish to defend Soderstrom from unfavorable platoon matchups. That might draw righty Darell Hernaiz into the lineup at third.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
