New York Yankees ‘Made a Play’ for Recently Cut Detroit Tigers Veteran

The New York Yankees looked to have a reunion with the recently DFA'd Detroit Tigers infielder.

Detroit Tigers Gio Urshela (13) swings at a pitch against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. / David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Tigers front office took some risks during the offseason.

They added two veteran players, Gio Urshela and Mark Canha, which seemed to be a smart decision at the time. It could've ended in a playoff bid if those two had performed how they have for much of their careers.

But neither player is part of this roster right now.

Canha was traded to the San Francisco Giants during the trade deadline, and Urshela was released. The third baseman landed a deal with the Atlanta Braves after Austin Riley went down with an injury and is expected to be out for the rest of the regular season.

Urshela will now have an opportunity to compete for a World Series, so he's likely not too upset about being let go by the Tigers.

A contending team picking him up didn't come as a surprise either. He's proven throughout his career to be a valuable player. He struggled during his time in Detroit, slashing .243/.286/.333 with just five home runs in 300 at-bats, but he's posted years in his career with an OPS+ above 100.

It's uncertain if he can ever get back to that point, but the Braves will hope he does.

Other teams were also in the mix, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

"The Yankees made a play for old friend Gio Urshela but he found a starting MLB job with the Braves."

A reunion with the New York Yankees would've made sense for multiple reasons. Not only does he already know the coaching staff and clubhouse, but the Yankees could use help in their infield.

They've struggled offensively as an unit, so they could've been interested in seeing if he had anything left in the tank. His best campaigns came in New York, including in 2019 where he slashed .314/.355/.534 with 21 home runs and an OPS+ of 133.

Signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Tigers last offseason, the Colombia native will have an opportunity to hit free agency again at 33 years old.

It's uncertain how many teams will show interest in signing him, but similar to what Detroit did, a team that has a chance to compete for the postseason might give him a chance to see if he can return to what he once was.