Yankees’, Mets’ efforts for popular infielder falling short, insider says

With days remaining until spring training, Gio Urshela remains unsigned. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be without a team for long, however.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said Wednesday that “three teams in particular stand out as having interest in Gio Urshela,” and they include the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Miami Marlins. MLB.com’s Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch threw cold water on the New York teams’ efforts, however, writing on X that while the Mets and Yankees are interested, the “Angels and Marlins have made better offers at this time.”

Urshela played with the Angels in 2023, batting .299 with two home runs and 24 RBI in 228 plate appearances. While his offense was worth a 91 OPS+, Urshela is valued for his defensive versatility; he played third base, first base and shortstop last season with strong marks at 3B.

The 32-year-old is not a complete zero with the bat, either. Even though he’s unlikely to recapture his offensive magic during his time with the Yankees — when he hit .292 with 41 home runs and a 119 OPS+ in 1,092 plate appearances from 2019-21 — he flashed above-average offensive upside in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins. A team would get a strong defender who can be an above-average contributor at the plate.

It would provide the Yankees (DJ LeMahieu) and Mets (Brett Baty) insurance at third base and around the infield, but perhaps Urshela is looking for a clearer path to playing time in addition to more money.