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Can newcomer Gio Urshela become everyday third baseman for Detroit Tigers in 2024 season?
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- Can newcomer Gio Urshela become everyday third baseman for Detroit Tigers in 2024 season?
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch , standing in the right-field corner at Joker Marchant Stadium, received the same version of a question about Gio Urshela .
Can Urshela become the everyday third baseman?
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"I'll play whenever they need me," Urshela said.
Urshela, an eight-year MLB veteran, is the newest member of the Tigers after signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract . The Tigers kept tabs on Urshela throughout the offseason, and when his market crashed in the slow-to-move world of free agency, the Tigers took advantage by signing him to a low-cost contract.
"This wasn't a late pivot or anything," Harris said.
ROSTER SITUATION: How new third baseman Gio Urshela impacts roster plans for Tigers
Tigers infielder Gio Urshela poses for a photo during picture day at TigerTown in Lakeland, Florida. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
Urshela, a right-handed hitter, has a clear pathway to an everyday role at third base because of his ability to put the ball in play, make hard contact and play above-average defense, but the Tigers haven't automatically anointed him as the everyday third baseman.
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A lot has to happen in the final five weeks of spring training.
"A.J. is going to determine who becomes an everyday player," Harris said, who later explained, "I don't view Gio as a strict platoon guy. He has a track record against right-handed pitching. He just happens to hit left-handed pitching a little bit better than righties."
"We need him to be healthy," Hinch said, referencing the pelvic fracture that limited Urshela to 62 games last season. "We don't have to decide today exactly how it's going to work out, and we won't because there are a lot of things that have to happen on the field."
Former All-Star shortstop Javier Báez , neighbors with Urshela in Tampa, is excited about another veteran presence in the clubhouse and on the field. The Tigers also traded for Mark Canha, a 35-year-old outfielder, at the beginning of the offseason .
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"Defensively, he's really good," Báez said of Urshela.
Báez, one of the oldest players on the roster, has high hopes for the Tigers in 2024, especially after the addition of Urshela to help complement young position players such as Kerry Carpenter , Riley Greene , Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson .
"If I do a little more than what I've done in the past two years, we're really going to impact the team and these young guys," Báez said. "My goal is to make them be themselves and learn from the small mistakes and just play hard. That's the key here. They need to get the experience of playing in the big leagues. We don't know what's going to happen this year, but I think we're going to have a good year and surprise a lot of people."
Right-hander Kenta Maeda , who signed a two-year, $24 million contract in the offseason, has reunited with Urshela. They were teammates with the Minnesota Twins in 2022.
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"He's a really reliable player," Maeda said.
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Tigers infielder Gio Urshela practices a drill next to outfielder Zach McKinstry during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Florida. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
The opportunities at third base for other players on the roster, such as Andy Ibáñez, Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling, will be impacted by Urshela's arrival. For example, Vierling could play more in the outfield this season, especially against left-handed pitchers, despite focusing on third base in the offseason.
Urshela will play third base and first base in spring training.
"One of the most challenging elements of my job is to prepare for injuries," Harris said. "We operate in a world in which we know injuries are on the horizon. We don't know exactly who and when. We have to always find ways to add talent and depth because it's going to help us when those injuries come."
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The former Gold Glove finalist was worth plus-6 defensive runs saved at third base last season with the Los Angeles Angels and has spent more than 4,600 innings at third base in his career, worth plus-10 defensive runs saved, even though his range and arm strength graded as below average over the past three seasons.
Still, Urshela profiles as the best defensive third baseman on the current roster.
"We know he's gifted at third base," Hinch said. "He's gotten Gold Glove votes and had incredible seasons there."
"We expect the pitching staff to induce a lot of swing and miss and a lot of soft contact," Harris said, "and we have to turn that soft contact into outs. Gio is definitely going to help us do that."
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In 2023, Urshela hit .299 with two home runs, 10 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 36 strikeouts (15.8% strikeout rate) across 62 games. He hit .373 with a .868 OPS against left-handed pitchers and .276 with a .652 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
His splits portray him as a valuable weapon against lefties, but he holds his own against righties. He is a .290 hitter against lefties and a .272 hitter against righties in his career.
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"He makes contact, puts up good at-bats and gets hits — things that you like as an offensive player," Hinch said. "He crushes lefties, which is a good sign, but he handles himself against righties, so he's been a complete player."
"I'm just trying to give A.J. as many weapons, both in the starting lineup and also on the bench," Harris said, "so when Gio is not starting, it's a real threat on the bench. ... It felt like adding another right-handed bat could help elevate the whole roster."
Look no further than 2022 for an example of Urshela as a complete player. He hit .285 with 13 home runs, 41 walks (7.4% walk rate) and 96 strikeouts (17.4% strikeout rate) across 144 games with the Twins, hitting .291 against lefties and .283 against righties.
Repeating that type of production would make him an everyday player for the Tigers in 2024.
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The primary concern is Urshela's health.
"I feel really good," Urshela said. "I'm 100% now. No issues."
He suffered the season-ending pelvis injury on June 15, when he took a tumble at first base trying to beat out a double play. He didn't need surgery, but he spent six weeks on crutches as part of the long road to recovery.
"Very scary," Urshela said, "but it's good now."
It was his first stint on the injured list since 2021.
Urshela returned to games in the offseason with Caimanes de Barranquilla in the Colombian Winter League, playing 11 games. He hit .282 with five walks and two strikeouts in 45 plate appearances, but he didn't produce any power.
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"He's unrestricted," Hinch said, "but we need to see it on the field and need to get him up and running and see if he's moving closer to the player that he's been in the past."
Detroit Tigers infielder Gio Urshela talks to first baseman Spencer Torkelson during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
Urshela continued his offseason training in Tampa, but he hadn't faced live pitching until Friday in Lakeland, Florida. He stepped into the batter's box for the first time since winter ball against right-handed reliever Drew Anderson and left-handed reliever Tyler Holton .
Although Urshela asked to play, the Tigers won't put the newcomer in the lineup for at least the first two spring training games, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. He should make his spring debut at some point next week.
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It will be the first step on his journey to potentially emerging as the everyday third baseman.
"It was a long offseason and a long process," Urshela said, "but finally, we got a good option here in Detroit. I'm happy to be here. I wanted to come here. I know a lot of people here. It's a really talented club with a lot of people that can play ball."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Detroit Tigers want to see from Gio Urshela before this season
