The Detroit Tigers have signed infielder Gio Urshela to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, with potential incentives of up to $500,000 for plate appearances. Urshela arrived in Lakeland and will be in workouts.
Urshela, a right-handed hitter with excellent performance against left-handed pitchers, primarily plays third base. With above-average contact rates, he has played 4,620 innings at third base, 359 at shortstop, 157 at first base, 28 at second base.
Urshela, a 2020 Gold Glove finalist, recorded a.299 batting average in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, showcasing his strong performance against left-handed and right-handed pitchers.
Last season, he missed the field due to a broken pelvis and back soreness, resulting in a season-ending injury.
The Tigers have several players at third base, including Urshela, Ibáñez, McKinstry, Vierling, and Colt Keith, with most reps in the infield.
Vierling has been playing third in spring training, alongside Ibáñez and McKinstry, but in Thursday’s practice, Vierling wasn’t present among the infielders. Instead, Vierling was working in the outfield, which is where he has spent the majority of his career.
In his MLB career, Urshela has played for the Cleveland Guardians (2015, 2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2018), New York Yankees (2019-21), Minnesota Twins (2022) and Angels (2023). He has a .321 batting average in his career against the Tigers, spanning 43 games.
Urshela, a career.290 hitter against left-handed pitchers and.272 against right-handed pitchers, played a career-high 144 games with the Twins in 2022, hitting.285 with 13 home runs and a.767 OPS. He has 22 games of postseason experience.
