Yankees Reportedly Pursuing Reunion With Former Slugger After Strong Season
There could be a reunion on the way in New York this offseason.
New York has been busy so far this offseason but still has a lot of work to do. The Yankees needed to improve the outfield and already have done so.
The Yankees could use another veteran utility man and bringing Urshela back into the fold certainly could help.
still needs to add to the rotation, add one or two bullpen arms, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another utility man.
One player who makes sense for the Yankees and New York reportedly has shown interest in is veteran utility man Gio Urshela, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon.
“Thus, someone like Gio Urshela may fit the profile,” Sammon said. “Urshela has attracted interest from the (New York Mets) and New York Yankees, among others, league sources said.”
Urshela began his big league career with the Cleveland Guardians in 2015 and eventually joined the New York Yankees in 2019 after making a stop with the Toronto Blue Jays. Urshela spent three seasons with the Yankees and certainly was impressive.
The utility man had arguably the best season of his career in 2019 as a member of the Yankees when he clubbed 21 home runs, drove in 74 runs, and slashed .314/.355/.534 in 132 games played.
Urshela spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Angels but appeared in just 62 games at the big league level. While it was a small sample size, Urshela was solid with two home runs, 24 RBIs, and a .299/.329/.374 slash line.
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It sounds like one former member of the Yankees has found a new home with the Cubs
The Chicago Cubs certainly seem like they’re busy right now.
Chicago has been in the news this offseason after landing manager Craig Counsell to a mammoth contract. The Cubs have been linked to multiple stars in free agency ever since, but haven’t made a major splash yet.
The Cubs still are looking for their first major splash of the offseason — aside from landing Counsell — but reportedly made a depth move Tuesday. Chicago reportedly signed former New York Yankees pitcher Colten Brewer, according to a post on the 31-year-old’s Instagram page.
“Excited to be joining the Cubs for the 2024 season,” Brewer said. “Thankful for every second I get to play this game. I’ll see y’all in Arizona for Spring Training can’t wait!”
Brewer has had two stints in the Yankees’ organization with the most recent being in 2023. He appeared in 15 games with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and logged a 1.35 ERA across 20 innings pitched.
He appeared in just three games at the big league level with New York last season and allowed four earned runs across 8 1/3 innings of work. Brewer’s time with the Yankees last season was his first experience at the big league level since 2021 with the Boston Red Sox. He spent three seasons with Boston from 2019-2021.
It’s unclear what role Brewer will play in the Cubs’ organization. Brewer didn’t announce whether he signed a big league deal or minor league contract. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see him at the big league level at some point next year whether or not he signed a major league deal.
