Angels acquire infielder Gio Urshela from Twins
The Los Angels Angels on Friday acquired infielder Gio Urshela from the Minnesota Twins.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Urshela heads to Southern California after spending just one season in the Twin Cities. In return, the Twins receive minor league pitcher Alejandro Hidalgo.
Urshela, 31, first signed with the then-Cleveland Indians as an international free agent out of Colombia in 2008. He made his big league debut in 2015 and spent the next few years with the franchise until he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.
He was again traded in 2019, this time to the New York Yankees where he received his first chance as an every day player.
After spending three seasons in New York, Urshela was once again moved via trade, ending up in Minnesota as part of a five-player deal that sent Josh Donaldson to the Yankees.
Last season with the Twins, Urshela hit .267 with 14 homers and 49 RBIs in 116 games played. Known for his solid defense, Urshela had a .983 fielding percentage at the hot corner.
He's a career .275 hitter, compiling 65 home runs and 256 runs driven in over seven big league seasons.
As for the Twins, they receive a 19-year-old Venezuelan prospect who has had just two years of time in the Halos franchise. He has yet to pitch above Single-A ball, and last season had a 4.62 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 10 starts.
