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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
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Friendly advice: Why Detroit Tigers might not have Gleyber Torres without Gio Urshela
When Gleyber Torres learned the Detroit Tigers were interested in signing him in free agency, he called one person first — one of his closest friends. He wanted to gather as much information as possible before making a decision. He needed someone he could trust with the future of his MLB career. Advertisement He called Gio Urshela. "I really believe in Gio," Torres said Wednesday, June 25. "We have been friends for many years. He's also the godfather of my son. Whatever advice he has for me, I'm going to take advantage of it." DEFENSE COUNTS: Wenceel Pérez does it all for Detroit Tigers, including two outfield assists in one inning That phone call helped shape the latest chapter of Torres' career after seven seasons with the New York Yankees: signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers, becoming a lock for the American League All-Star team at second base and positioning himself to command a nine-figure contract. Advertisement There's a chance Torres would've signed elsewhere if not for Urshela's advice. "He explained everything to me," Torres said. New York Yankees shortstop Gio Urshela (29) and second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) celebrate a win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sept. 28, 2021. WHEN HE SIGNED: Gleyber Torres bets on himself with Tigers in free agency, keeping $100 million in mind Torres, 28, had multiple offers in free agency, but he was looking for two things: money on a one-year contract to bet on himself and a legitimate chance to win the World Series. The Tigers offered $15 million. And Urshela told him the Tigers could deliver the championship ring. "We talked a lot about it," said Urshela, a 33-year-old third baseman who is in his first season with the Athletics. "He asked me a lot of things. I told him stuff like the way they work here, the way they prepare for games, the talent they have." Advertisement "I got different offers," Torres said, "but between the Tigers and other teams, I think the Tigers had the best offer. The money was there, but I was looking for a competitive team. I really believed Detroit was the complete package, so I signed the deal." Detroit Tigers third base Gio Urshela (13) high-fives third base coach Joey Cora after hitting a 2-run home run that lift the Tigers to 11-9 win over L. A. Dodgers during the tenth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Urshela knew what Torres needed to hear about the Tigers because he experienced it firsthand. He was on the Tigers' roster for most of the 2024 season, including Aug. 11, 2024 — the beginning of the magical 31-11 run to clinch a spot in the postseason. He was designated for assignment Aug. 16, but that didn't sour his experience in Detroit. Advertisement Since Aug. 11, the Tigers have a 83-44 record — a .653 winning percentage that would translate to 106 wins over 162 games. "When you have a really good clubhouse that's young and together, I think that's a big difference," said Torres, an All-Star for the Yankees in 2018 and 2019. "That's the conversation he had with me. That's why I picked Detroit." WATCH OUT: How Gleyber Torres became an All-Star Game lock again with Tigers The relationship between Torres and Urshela dates back to the 2017 season, when they faced each other at the Triple-A level — Torres with the Yankees, Urshela with the Cleveland Guardians. They knew of each other from social media, but they didn't connect in person until that year. Advertisement Later, they played together for the Yankees from 2019-21. These days, Torres and Urshela are co-owners of a baseball facility in Tampa, Florida "He's a gamer," Urshela said of Torres. "He likes to win. He saw what the Tigers did last year. He's played in the playoffs a lot with the Yankees. He likes to win and go to the playoffs." [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Here's what Urshela extolled about the Tigers: the young talent on the roster, the selfless culture in the clubhouse, the short- and long-term goals set by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, the way manager A.J. Hinch prepares players for success and even how well the Tigers treat players behind the scenes, including the upgraded team plane. Advertisement So far, the experience has lived up to the hype. "Everything is so good," Torres said. "What he told me is better in person. I'm glad I had that conversation with him." The Tigers are gaining traction as a desirable destination for players — built on a culture of development, a first-class experience and a commitment to winning. It has already left a strong impression on Torres. "I felt comfortable from the first day," Torres said. "If every free agent has the opportunity to come here, they're going to be glad. This is a winning team, and we always want to compete." Detroit Tigers second base Gleyber Torres (25) hits a single in the third inning against the Athletics at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. In 2025, Torres isn't just along for the ride. Advertisement He is driving the Tigers' success as the best team in baseball, joining forces with elite pitcher Tarik Skubal and star outfielder Riley Greene. His .384 on-base percentage — a product of 40 walks compared to 36 strikeouts — ranks 11th among qualified MLB players. Torres enjoys playing for Hinch. "A.J. is a great manager and also a great person," Torres said. "How he handles everything is really special. How we play during the season is no surprise. Every coach does his part. And A.J. commands everything really well during the game. The way he matches every bullpen guy and every pinch-hitter is really impressive." Not only has Torres emerged as a leader by example, guiding Javier Báez through a career resurgence by giving him tips about opposing pitchers, but he has also been the top-performing AL second baseman, hitting .280 with seven home runs and an .803 OPS in 68 games. Advertisement The Tigers have Urshela to thank for Torres' presence, both on and off the field. All it took was one phone call. "He's always been a really good player," Urshela said. "He's a really good friend. We always talk — pretty much every day. I'm really happy for him with the way he's playing this year." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Advertisement Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gleyber Torres called Gio Urshela about Detroit Tigers in free agency
Reuters
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Athletics activate 3B Gio Urshela, place OF Seth Brown in IL
June 17 - The Athletics activated third baseman Gio Urshela from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday night's game against the visiting Houston Astros. Urshela has been sidelined with a left hamstring strain. He was injured during a 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on May 22. The Athletics placed outfielder Seth Brown (elbow) on the 10-day IL in a corresponding move, retroactive to June 13. Urshela is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against Houston. Max Muncy is the third baseman. Urshela, 33, is batting .224 with 13 RBIs in 32 games this season, his first with the Athletics. The A's are his eighth big-league team. Overall, Urshela is a .271 career hitter with 73 homers and 345 RBIs in 824 games. He enjoyed his best season in 2019 when he established career highs of a .314 average, 21 homers and 74 RBIs in 132 games with the New York Yankees. Brown, 32, is batting .185 with one homer and three RBIs in 38 games this season. Brown first reached the majors in 2019 with the A's and has 74 homers and 233 RBIs to go with a .226 average in 568 games. He hit 20 homers in 2021 and had career bests of 25 homers and 73 RBIs in 2022. Also, Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof is beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. Gelof, 25, broke his right hand during spring training and then sustained a stress reaction in his ribs during a rehab stint in early May. Gelof batted .211 with 17 homers and 49 RBIs in 138 games for the A's in 2024. He struck out 188 times, most in the American League. --Field Level Media
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Turner homers, Wheeler strong again and Philadelphia Phillies beat the Athletics 4-3 for 8th straight win
Trea Turner led off the game with a home run and had three hits, Zack Wheeler extended his scoreless innings streak and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Athletics 4-3 on Friday night for their eighth straight win. Turner added an RBI single to cap a three-run ninth that gave the Phillies the cushion it needed when the Athletics' Nick Kurtz hit a three-homer in the bottom of the inning. Wheeler (6-1) won his fourth straight start and has thrown 22 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and struck out eight. He left with two outs in the seventh after giving up his only two walks. Orion Kerkering struck out Luis Urías to end the threat. Jordan Romano gave up Kurtz's homer before Tanner Banks came in and struck out Lawrence Butler for his first save this season. The Athletics lost their 10th straight. They last lost 11 in a row in 2023. Jacob Lopez (0-2), called up with four other players on Friday in a roster shakeup, pitched seven innings, giving up three hits, one run and a walk while striking out eight. Highly touted prospect Denzel Clarke started in center field in his major league debut and went hitless with two strikeouts. A's infielder Gio Urshela was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring Key moment Johan Rojas made a running, tumbling catch at the wall in dead center for the final out in the eighth, stranding Lawrence Butler at third and preserving the lead. Key stat Over his last seven starts, Wheeler has a 1.56 ERA. Up next Cristopher Sánchez (4-1, 3.10 ERA) pitches for the Phillies on Saturday against the Athletics, who haven't announced a starter.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Losers of 9 straight, A's shake up roster with 5 promotions, option JJ Bleday
On the heels of a nine-game losing streak — the longest in Major League Baseball so far this season — the Athletics majorly overhauled their roster on Friday, promoting five players from Triple-A Las Vegas, optioning outfielder JJ Bleday, catcher Jhonny Pereda and right-hander Carlos Duran, placing infielder Gio Urshela on the 10-day injured list and designating outfielder/first baseman Seth Brown for assignment. Brown, who debuted with the A's in 2019, was the team's longest-tenured player. Advertisement Joining the A's roster are rookie outfielder Denzel Clarke (ranked as the A's No. 8 prospect by The Athletic's Keith Law), rookie catcher Willie MacIver, and rookie infielders Logan Davidson and C.J. Alexander. Alexander has eight career MLB at-bats; the rest will be making their major-league debuts. Left-hander Jacob Lopez is also re-joining the A's bullpen from Triple A. It is his third stint with the team already this season. He's made four appearances, allowing three earned runs in seven innings. The nine-game losing streak has dropped the A's from two games over .500 to 22-29. They are in last place in the American League West, seven games behind the Seattle Mariners. The A's have particularly struggled defensively and with their bullpen this season. Overall, the A's rank second only to the Rockies in negative Defensive Runs Saved at -33, according to Sports Information Solutions. The bullpen's 5.98 ERA is third-worst in baseball, though their FIP is 4.33. Some of the discrepancy between their ERA and their FIP can be explained by the team's struggling outfield defense, which ranks dead last in baseball. Much of those struggles (-10 DRS) have come in center field, where Bleday has started for most of the season. Not a true center fielder, Bleday struggled with his range at the position in 2024, but he made up for that with a breakout offensive season that saw him hit .243/.324/.437 with a career-high 20 home runs. He was worth 2.1 bWAR. This year, Bleday is batting just .204/.291/.365 with six home runs in 47 games. Brown has also struggled defensively this season (-3 DRS) while splitting his time between the outfield and first base. A 2015 19th-round pick, Brown hit 25 homers for the A's in 2022 and has 74 in seven seasons with the club, but he last posted an OPS above .700 in that 2022 season. Advertisement The A's outfield defense should improve with the addition of Clarke, one of the top defensive outfielders in the A's system. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Clarke was hitting .286/.436/.419 with seven stolen bases in 31 games in Triple A this season. Clarke is the first cousin of Josh and Bo Naylor. He's shown significant in-game power in previous seasons (while also striking out a lot) but has yet to homer so far this season, though he has significantly reduced his strikeout rate. He can play all three outfield positions but is likely to play in center for the A's. Davidson was the A's first-round pick in 2019 out of Clemson. The switch-hitter is in the middle of his best season as a pro, currently sporting a .303/.452/.428 line with 10 doubles in 41 games. Originally a shortstop, Davidson has limited range at short but has played all over the rest of the infield and even some outfield. He and Alexander are likely to see reps at second and third base and occasionally in the outfield, mixing in with Max Schuemann and Luis Urías in those roles with Urshela on the IL with a right hamstring strain and projected Opening Day second baseman Zack Gelof still rehabbing a broken hand and a stress fracture in his ribs that have kept him out all season. Gelof was moved to the 60-day IL on Friday. Pereda returns to Triple A after hitting .167 in 36 at-bats as Shea Langeliers' backup catcher. Pereda did have a memorable moment last week when he struck out Shohei Ohtani during the tail end of the A's 19-2 loss to the Dodgers, which was the second loss in their nine-game losing streak. MacIver, a 2018 ninth-round pick of the Rockies, was hitting .389/.469/.548 in 35 games for Las Vegas before the promotion. He will take over as the A's backup catcher. The A's face the first-place Philadelphia Phillies this weekend as they look to break their losing streak. (Top photo of Bleday: Ed Szczepanski / Imagn Images)
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Athletics INF Gio Urshela (hamstring) headed to IL
May 23 - Athletics third baseman Gio Urshela departed Thursday's 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels with a left hamstring strain. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game that Urshela will undergo an MRI exam and be placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. Urshela was the team's starting third baseman Thursday and went 1-for-2 with one RBI. He drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth and was replaced at third by Max Schuemann in the top of the sixth. Schuemann moved from second to third with Luis Urias entering the game to play second. Urshela, 33, is batting .224 with 13 RBIs in 32 games this season, his first with the Athletics. The A's are his eighth big-league team. The Thursday setback extended the Athletics' season-worst skid to nine games. The club opens a three-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. --Field Level Media
