Infielder Gio Urshela, who played 851 games with eight teams over 10 seasons, announced his retirement on Monday.
“Today is the day to close this chapter as a professional player, and this is not a moment to be sad,” Urshela, 34, wrote in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram. “It is a moment to be grateful to God for allowing me to play this beautiful sport that changed my life.”
After two mediocre seasons in Cleveland (2015, ’17) and one in Toronto (2018), Urshela spent the next three seasons playing third base for the New York Yankees, and he found his stride. He batted .314 with 21 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019, then hit .298 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. In 2021, he hit .267 and contributed 14 homers and 49 RBIs.
The Yankees sent him to the Minnesota Twins with catcher Gary Sanchez in a March 13, 2022, trade for infielders Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa along with catcher Ben Rortvedt.
Urshela subsequently played single seasons for the Los Angeles Angels (2023) and the Athletics (2025), and split 2024 between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. He was a free agent after spending time with the Twins in spring training.
Urshela retires with a career average of .270 with 312 runs, 73 home runs and 352 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
