Minnesota Twins sign former Toronto Blue Jays infielder

On Monday it was reported that they had signed infielder Gio Urshela to a minor league, reuniting them with a player who had a very successful season with them in 2022.

Urshela was released by the Athletics in August.

Urshela initially came to Minnesota in a trade with a New York Yankees, coming over with catcher Gary Sanchez in exchange for fellow catcher Ben Rortvedt and two fellow infielders in Josh Bautista and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The move was widely seen as a salary dump for the Twins.

Urshela had one of the best seasons of his career, slashing .285/.338/.429, adding 13 home runs and 64 RBIS, while getting into a career-high 144 games, nearly all of them at 3rd base.

Prior to his stint with the Yankees, he a brief with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting one run and three RBIS in 19 games, while splitting time between 3rd and shortstop.

He was eventually designated for assignment and shipped to the Yankees for cash.

Upon arriving in New York, he overhauled his swing and broke through for 21 homers and hit .314 in 2019.

He's had a bit of a rough ride since leaving the Minnesota Twins in 2022, including dealing with a pelvic injury that has affected his mobility.

Still, given his history, he could conceivably make the team as a back-up to Royce Lewis at third, and could also play 2nd and 1st in a pinch.

In spite of history with the Twins, it's not a given that Urshela makes the team. He is not as nimble as he once was, nor does he have the range that he used to.

However, given Lewis' own injury, having a veteran stashed in the minor leagues could prove to be valuable.

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