Gio Urshela Has Developed Into The Real Deal, Here's Why

The Yankees have Josh Donaldson. The Angels have Gio Ursehla. Now we all know it didn’t start that way. In the beginning, it was the Yankees with Urshela, and we were bringing the guy into the mix because he dazzled with the glove.  But what happened next was something wonderful. Gio Urshela was also able to hit and proved that to the Yankees while he was in the Bronx.

Next came this ridiculous deal. The Yankees, desperate to send off Gary Sanchez traded him to Minnesota for what really appears now to be a bag of rocks.  Josh Donaldson is about as broken down and inconsistent as we get, IKF just isn’t major league caliber when he’s on the Yankees level of performance and I honestly don’t even think Ben Rortvedt exists. I don’t think the guy ever set foot on the field since being in pinstripes. Talk about a no-show job, Tony.

Now… we as Yankee fans are seeing what we don’t have. 

Gio Urshela is beloved by the Angels. In fact, when it came to a guy names Andrew Velazquez (remember him?), Gio even took his spot because he is so fabulous in the field.  By the way… to a point where the Angels are thinking about Urshela at shortstop for a few days a week. Can you imagine? I mean we’re fumbling over ourselves here in New York wondering if guys like Volpe or Peraza could be the everyday Shortstop, meanwhile Urshela might have been the guy all along. But what do Yankee projectionists really know about our players anyway? Not much clearly.

NJ.com writes:

“That convinced the Angels to bring in… Gio Urshela in a trade with the Minnesota Twins. And that depth eventually sent the switch-hitting Velasquez to the minors on Friday, when the Angels optioned him to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Urshela, 31, sparkled with his glove at third base for the Yankees — and eventually was traded to the Minnesota Twins along with catcher Gary Sanchez. Many Yankees fans, frustrated by the hitting struggles of Josh Donaldson last season, longed to have Urshela back. He will start the season as a utility infielder, but he could bite into Luis Rengifo’s playing time at shortstop if he’s hitting.

Angels manager Phil Nevin — a former Yankees bench coach from 2018-2021 — said Urshela could play shortstop “once or twice a week” during the season, with the possibility of him playing even more if he’s hitting.”