December 21: In accordance with Jon Heyman of the New York Put up, Urshela’s take care of the Athletics ensures him $2.15MM with an extra $400K accessible in incentives.
December 19: The Athletics are in settlement with Gio Urshela on a free agent contract, stories 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 stories that it’s a one-year deal, which seemingly confirms that it’ll be a giant league contract.
If it’s an MLB contract, Urshela may get first crack on the third base job. A’s common supervisor David Forst has mentioned on just a few events that the entrance workplace was searching for solutions on the sizzling nook. They explored at the very least one commerce risk, touching base with the Phillies concerning Alec Bohm, however balked at Philadelphia’s reported ask for star nearer Mason Miller.
The free agent choices on the place have been restricted. Alex Bregman is the one clear common. He’d virtually actually be exterior the membership’s value vary even when he have been keen to play in Sacramento for the following three seasons. It’s not clear if Gleyber Torres is keen to signal as a 3rd baseman. Yoán Moncada, Josh Rojas, Jorge Polanco and Urshela have been among the many rebound candidates who might be had for an inexpensive 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 dwelling runs. Urshela’s plus contact abilities stay intact, however his energy has dropped off sharply in recent times. 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 a bit of 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 a bit of bit above par over the previous two seasons.
Assuming Urshela cracks the massive 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 enjoying time there. Urshela may transfer throughout the diamond towards left-handed pitching if the A’s wish to defend Soderstrom from unfavorable platoon matchups. That would draw righty Darell Hernaiz into the lineup at third.
Picture courtesy of Imagn.
