Gio Urshela Landing Spots: Top 5 destinations for former Atlanta Braves infielder

Gio Urshela didn't have a terrific season last year. He was a deadline acquisition for the Atlanta Braves after a stint with the Detroit Tigers. Ironically, the Tigers got red-hot by making the playoffs and surviving longer than the Braves. Either way, Urshela was a rental and is now a free agent.

He had 0.7 bWAR last year for both teams, with a .250 batting average and 82 OPS+. His .647 OPS left much to be desired, but he provided solid defense as usual. Despite that down year, he's been worth 9.7 bWAR over nine big-league seasons so that he could have a few suitors in free agency.

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Top landing spots for Gio Urshela in free agency

5) Washington Nationals

Gio Urshela could go to the Nats (Credits: IMAGN)

Like the Detroit Tigers, the Washington Nationals - both last in Fangraphs' third-base depth charts and not a contender - could bring in Gio Urshela and flip him later. If he does well and the Nats don't, he's an easy trade candidate. If he doesn't do well, it was a short-term investment for a team that wasn't likely to be good in the first place.

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4) Detroit Tigers

The Tigers could bring back Gio Urshela (Credits: IMAGN)

The Detroit Tigers could do something extraordinary by trading away Urshela, getting better, outlasting his new team and signing him back. However, with the 24th-ranked third base room in baseball, it's a move that makes sense. They know and like the infielder and could use him as valuable depth and a veteran mentor for their young third basemen like Jace Jung.

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3) New York Yankees

The Yankees could use Urshela again (Credits: Getty)

The New York Yankees will almost certainly go bigger to solve their infield problems, but Urshela was a fan favorite in his time in pinstripes. They could use Urshela at third and put Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second. That might not be the most eye-popping move, but it does fill a need for cheap. It may be necessary if they give almost $700 million to Juan Soto or try to sign other superstar free agents.

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2) Houston Astros

Gio Urshela could go to Houston (Credits: IMAGN)

The Houston Astros would love to bring Alex Bregman back. Without him, they have the 27th-best third-base depth in MLB. If Bregman signs elsewhere, the Astros must get creative at third base. That might include signing a veteran who can be dependable if not an All-Star caliber player like Bregman was, and Urshela fits the bill.

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1) Milwaukee Brewers

Urshela makes sense for the Brewers (Credits: IMAGN)

Not only do the Milwaukee Brewers have the lowest third-base depth among MLB playoff teams from 2024, they have the second-lowest of all teams. Third base is a major need, so if they can't land a star, then depth pieces to provide some value, like Gio Urshela, would make a lot of sense. The Brewers typically don't spend big so that a cheap investment could be right up their alley this year.