MLB Rumors: Gio Urshela, Tigers Agree to Contract Amid Interest from Yankees, More

Gio Urshela is going to play for his fourth different team in the past four seasons after agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Urshela will sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network added the deal includes incentives.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier this month that the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Miami Marlins were among the teams with interest in the infielder.

Urshela spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He was only on the field for 62 games before suffering a season-ending pelvic fracture against the Texas Rangers on June 15 when he fell awkwardly trying to beat out a grounder.

Prior to the injury, Urshela was on pace to have his worst offensive season since 2018. He hit .299/.329/.374 in 214 at-bats.

Originally signed by the Cleveland Guardians as an international free agent in 2008, Urshela made his big-league debut seven years later.

After struggling to carve out an MLB role during his time in Cleveland, Urshela was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2018 season. He struggled there and was moved again later the same season, this time to the Yankees.

The 2019 season was a breakout year for Urshela. He hit .314/.355/.534 with 21 homers and 74 RBI in 132 games. The Colombia native carried that performance over to the shortened 2020 season with a .298/.368/.490 slash line in 43 games.

Following a down season in 2021, the Yankees sent Urshela to the Minnesota Twins in the Josh Donaldson trade. He had a strong bounce-back year with a .285/.338/.429 slash line in 501 at-bats.

Urshela was a top-30 player in the American League by FanGraphs' wins above replacement from 2019 to '22. The Angels acquired him from the Twins hoping he could provide stability for their infield, especially because of his ability to play multiple positions.

The injury took away any chance that Urshela had to prove he could do that for the Angels. The Tigers are betting on a rebound year for the 32-year-old. It's not a bad bet given the low cost it took to sign him.

Urshela could move into the starting lineup for the Tigers when the regular season begins. Zach McKinstry was penciled as their Opening Day third baseman, but he's a .221/.288/.365 hitter in 269 career games.

There was very little difference between Urshela and McKinstry by FanGraphs' defensive value metric last season, though Urshela did have a 6-0 advantage in defensive runs saved.

This isn't the most exciting addition for a Tigers team that's trying to take a step forward this season after winning 78 games in 2023, but Urshela gives them much-needed infield depth to take advantage of one month away from Opening Day.