New York Yankees Face Stiff Miami Marlins Competition, as Former Bombers Infielder Attracts Strong Free Agency Interest

One of the weirdest themes of this offseason has been the lack of movement by positional players. That has led to an unusual glut this close to Spring Training. Part of that glut is the versatile infielder Gio Urshela. The 32-year-old was going through a relatively good year before he injured his pelvis in June. Now in his free agency, he’s being fancied by the New York Yankees and their neighbors, the New York Mets. However, as of now, the Miami Marlins look ahead of them.

While both the Bombers and the Mets aren’t short of infielders, adding Urshela would improve their depth. The Pinstripes have already lost Isiah Kiner-Falefa and would love a player who can wear almost as many hats as him. However, growing competition for Urshela could ruin these plans for the New York franchises.

The New York Yankees run into big competition

There have been reports regarding the Yankees’ interest in reuniting with Urshela. However, talks have progressed relatively slowly till now. Part of the reason is the interest of teams like the Los Angeles Angels and Miami Marlins. There’s a reason to believe that the Marlins might be ahead, partly because of the playing opportunity that they can provide.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “ Urshela would not fill the team’s need at shortstop, but could help fill a void created by the departures of Soler and Yuli Gurriel, moving between first base, third and DH.” He pointed out how if either Josh Bell or Jake Burger played as a DH, Urshela would immediately slot in as the first or third baseman.

What this means is that, unlike the Yankees or Mets, Urshela could get more opportunities to be on the field. Both New York teams are filled to the brim when it comes to infielders. As a result, Urshela would be looking at a bench role there. Could it be that he prefers a bigger on-field role?

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Apart from that, however, there’s another reason why the Marlins are ahead of the Yankees. And surprisingly, it’s a monetary reason.

The Marlins are competing hard for Gio Urshela 

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that while the Yankees and Mets have some interest in Urshela, their offers have been outshined by others. According to him, the Angels and Marlins have made “better offers at this time.” So apart from more playing time, the 32-year-old might also be getting more money from the other teams.

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While the Yankees would like a strong, versatile player like Urshela, they aren’t short of those currently. Offensively, Urshela hit 13 homers in 2022, and that could be something that the Yankees are attracted to. However, with the Marlins and Angels ready to compete hard, things are looking a little shaky for the Yankees currently.