The Athletics are continuing with their offseason acquisitions as they move from Oakland to Sacramento. On Saturday, they signed third baseman Gio Urshela of Cartagena, Colombia to a one year deal worth $2.15 million according to Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.
Eighth Major League Team
Urshela has played for seven Major League teams in the past. They have been the Cleveland Guardians (2015 and 2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2018), New York Yankees (2019 to 2021), the Minnesota Twins (2022), the Los Angeles Angels (2023), Detroit Tigers (2024), and Atlanta Braves (2024).
2024 MLB statistics
Urshela shared the 2024 MLB season with the Tigers and Braves. He batted .250 with nine home runs and 52 runs batted in. During 128 games, 432 at bats and 461 plate appearances, Urshela scored 34 runs and had 108 hits, 19 doubles, one triple, 23 walks, 156 total bases, five sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .286 and a slugging percentage of .361.
Most Notable Season
Urshela’s best season to date came in 2019 with the Yankees. That year he had career highs in batting average (.314), runs scored (73), doubles (34), home runs (21), runs batted in (74), total bases (236), and slugging percentage (.534).
Expected to be the starting third baseman
In 2025, Urshela is expected to get regular playing time at third base. Last season the Athletics starting third baseman in the franchise’s final year in Oakland was Canadian Abraham Toro of Longueuil, Quebec. Toro batted .260 with six home runs and 26 runs batted in, but is a free agent at this time. Meanwhile, backup third baseman Brett Harris of Arlington Heights, Illinois did not have a productive offensive rookie season in Oakland as he batted only .146 with 15 hits in 103 at bats.
Improved Starting Pitching
The Athletics made two significant offseason acquisitions already. They signed starting pitcher Luis Severino of Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic to a three year deal worth $67 million, and acquired starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs of Belmont, North Carolina in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
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