New York Yankees & Mets Showing Interest In 8-Year Veteran Infielder

The New York Mets and Yankees have both shown interest in third baseman Gio Urshela, a player with a significant history in New York.

Urshela, known for his breakout season with the Yankees in 2019, has since proven himself as an above-average infielder.

Over the past five seasons with the Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels, he has achieved a .291/.335/.452 slash line, indicating strong offensive production.

His defense has been roughly average, with experience mostly at third base, but also some shortstop and brief appearances at first and second base.

The market for Urshela has been relatively quiet for most of the offseason, with only a few rumors of interest from teams like the Toronto Blue Jays.

The #Mets and #Yankees are among the teams with interest in free-agent 3B Gio Urshela, per @WillSammon pic.twitter.com/PLbi92bdr0
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) January 1, 2024

However, this subdued interest might be linked to his injury-marred 2023 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels, where he managed a .299/.329/.374 line but was limited to 62 games due to a pelvic fracture.

This injury, along with a decrease in power production, could be reasons for the cautious approach from teams.

Despite these concerns, Urshela remains one of the better infield options in a thin market.

Compared to other available infielders like Matt Chapman, Whit Merrifield, Tim Anderson, Eduardo Escobar, and Adam Frazier, Urshela is seen as a relatively favorable choice.

The Mets' interest is particularly driven by the injury of their switch-hitting third baseman, Ronny Mauricio, who tore his ACL in winter ball.

This leaves the Mets with limited options at third base, and Urshela could provide a right-handed complement to their existing players while alleviating pressure from the less experienced Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.

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