The New York Yankees managed to stumble upon a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman this past offseason. His defensive qualities only scratch the surface of his potential, though, as he’s hitting .335 on the year over 331 at-bats.
The simple reality is, Gio Urshela is a great candidate to win the AL MVP award this season. Before this campaign, Urshela’s highest batting average was .233, well below-average and not even deserving of an opportunity at the professional level. However, he turned the tables on everyone including himself, blossoming into the potential third baseman of the future for the Yankees.
The question this poses: What should the New York Yankees do with Miguel Andujar?
One of the more promising offensive threats for the Yankees is infielder Miguel Andujar. While his defense is nowhere near as impressive as Urshela’s, he has a solid bat and can turn a game on its head. Hitting .297 in 2018 with 47 doubles and 27 homers proved he could be an impact player at the plate, but a partially torn labrum that ended his season this year has thrown a wedge in between him and the starting third base role.
His inadequate abilities in the field make him expendable if the Yankees are keen on keeping Gio as their long-term solution. They could always retain Andujar and keep him as a reserve option, but it can’t hurt to explore a potential trade given his value.
There’s little doubt his stock took a hit after the injury, but next season could allow the Yankees to work him back up to form and deal him mid-season to address vulnerabilities. There were rumors this past offseason that Miguel was on the trading block, but the Yankees’ needs at the pitching position stacked the leverage against them.
How surprised were the New York Yankees at the emergence of Urshela?
“Nobody thought Gio would be this guy,†Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Yahoo Sports. “What he is doing now was not anything we felt we were tapping into.â€
While DJ LeMaheiu has overshadowed him in the hitting department, Cashman originally wanted Gio to play a similar role.
“We had been trying to acquire him for a while,†Cashman said. “We daydreamed about him being a very versatile utility player. We loved his glove. We were very fortunate that we ran into him at the proper time of his development.â€
It seems as if the Yankees got the best of both worlds. Both players are first and second in the AL batting title race and have been equally impactful for the Bombers this season. If Urshela continues to produce at this level, Andujar could find himself in an interesting position moving forward.