Bringing in depth pieces at various spots has been a priority this offseason for first-year Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
And Breslow might be looking to add some infield depth this time around with the spring training already underway.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, who cited a source, the Red Sox have shown interest in signing veteran free agent infielder Gio Urshela. Cotillo noted that a deal between the two sides does not appear imminent.
Urshela spent the majority of his eight-year MLB career playing third base, but does have experience at all other three infield positions. He played 22 games at first base last season with the Los Angeles Angels. The versatility is a key factor with the Red Sox most likely looking for a backup corner infielder.
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Bobby Dalbec appears to be the lead candidate for that role at the moment. Manager Alex Cora left the door open for the right-handed-hitting Dalbec to seize that spot on the Red Sox roster, but Urshela could be viewed as an upgrade. Dalbec only had 49 at-bats with the Red Sox last season with the 28-year-old playing primarily for Triple-A Worcester.
Urshela’s best seasons in the big leagues came during a three-year stint with the Yankees from 2019-2021. He turned in a career year during his first season in pinstripes when he batted .314 with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs.
Urshela showed he could hit for average after leaving the Yankees, batting .285 with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 and .299 with the Angels last season. The 32-year-old was limited to just 62 games with the Angels after suffering a season-ending left pelvis fracture in June.
The Red Sox aren’t the only team reportedly in on Urshela as he comes off a significant injury. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported two weeks ago that the Angels and Miami Marlins had the best offers on the table for Urshela while the New York Yankees and New York Mets were also vying for his services.
