When the Los Angeles Angels traded for Gio Urshela, the hope was that he would be able to at least be the same guy he was with the Yankees and Twins who would provide a .750ish OPS at the plate while being a versatile and quality defender. Early on, that is exactly what he provided, as he slashed .299/.329/.374 through his first 228 plate appearances with the team.
Unfortunately, his 2023 season was cut short when a freak pelvic fracture in June put him on the shelf for the remainder of the season. However, it appears he is fully healthy now and receiving considerable interest on the free agent market this offseason.
A number of teams have been connected to Urshela beyond a potential reunion with the Angels, as at least the Mets, Yankees, and Marlins have checked on his market recently. However, the latest update indicates that the two New York teams may be out of luck.
Angels and Marlins appear to be frontrunners in Gio Urshela chase
Let's get one thing out of the way: if any team gets outbid by the Marlins for a free agent, there better be a good reason for it, like an issue with the player's medicals. Miami has made a habit of spending next to nothing on their roster, and that the two teams from the biggest sports market in the US are currently being outbid by them is frankly sad.
The latest Urshela update is also a welcome bit of good news for an Angels organization in desperate need of a win. Signing Robert Stephenson was a nice addition, as was Aaron Hicks, but bringing back Urshela would give what currently looks like a young and/or very speculative Angels infield a nice boost. If Anthony Rendon could get healthy and actually learn to like playing baseball as well, LA might be on to something this season.
Still, nothing appears to be super imminent at the moment with Urshela, and formalizing a deal could take some time regardless of where he signs. However, that the Angels are currently in the running is a great sign that the team is not done just yet and could find ways to improve even more heading into 2024.