The Los Angeles Angels have arguably been the most active team in the early part of the MLB offseason. They already signed starting pitcher Tyler Anderson to a three-year contract, and have now made a trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian has lamented the need for the team to have quality depth at the plate. He very quickly followed through, with Jeff Passan of ESPN reporting that the Angels are acquiring former Twins and New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela.
Urshela has played in seven MLB seasons, splitting time between the Twins, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cleveland Guardians. He’s a .750 OPS hitter for his career, hitting at least 10 home runs and 49 RBIs in three campaigns.
In 2022 with the Twins, Urshela slashed .285/.338/.429 and played nearly the entirety of the season at third base. With the Angels hopefully getting a healthy Anthony Rendon back, it will be interesting to see if Urshela shifts to shortstop, first base, or if he serves as a bench bat.
In the trade, the Angels are sending the Twins Class-A RHP Alejandro Hidalgo. Hidalgo has a 4.64 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 66.0 minor league innings.
Urshela is entering his final year of arbitration, making $6.55 million with the Twins in 2022. The Angels infield now consists of Jared Walsh, Rendon, David Fletcher, Luis Rengifo, and Urshela. Improvements may still happen in the infield, but the outfield becomes a more pressing concern after this trade.
