Gio Urshela Landing Spots: Top 5 destinations for former Atlanta Braves infielder
Gio Urshela didn't have a terrific season last year. He was a deadline acquisition for the Atlanta Braves after a stint with the Detroit Tigers. Ironically, the Tigers got red-hot by making the playoffs and surviving longer than the Braves. Either way, Urshela was a rental and is now a free agent.
He had 0.7 bWAR last year for both teams, with a .250 batting average and 82 OPS+. His .647 OPS left much to be desired, but he provided solid defense as usual. Despite that down year, he's been worth 9.7 bWAR over nine big-league seasons so that he could have a few suitors in free agency.
Top landing spots for Gio Urshela in free agency
5) Washington Nationals
Like the Detroit Tigers, the Washington Nationals - both last in Fangraphs' third-base depth charts and not a contender - could bring in Gio Urshela and flip him later. If he does well and the Nats don't, he's an easy trade candidate. If he doesn't do well, it was a short-term investment for a team that wasn't likely to be good in the first place.
4) Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers could do something extraordinary by trading away Urshela, getting better, outlasting his new team and signing him back. However, with the 24th-ranked third base room in baseball, it's a move that makes sense. They know and like the infielder and could use him as valuable depth and a veteran mentor for their young third basemen like Jace Jung.
3) New York Yankees
The New York Yankees will almost certainly go bigger to solve their infield problems, but Urshela was a fan favorite in his time in pinstripes. They could use Urshela at third and put Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second. That might not be the most eye-popping move, but it does fill a need for cheap. It may be necessary if they give almost $700 million to Juan Soto or try to sign other superstar free agents.
2) Houston Astros
The Houston Astros would love to bring Alex Bregman back. Without him, they have the 27th-best third-base depth in MLB. If Bregman signs elsewhere, the Astros must get creative at third base. That might include signing a veteran who can be dependable if not an All-Star caliber player like Bregman was, and Urshela fits the bill.
1) Milwaukee Brewers
Not only do the Milwaukee Brewers have the lowest third-base depth among MLB playoff teams from 2024, they have the second-lowest of all teams. Third base is a major need, so if they can't land a star, then depth pieces to provide some value, like Gio Urshela, would make a lot of sense. The Brewers typically don't spend big so that a cheap investment could be right up their alley this year.