The trade market is beginning to heat up.
Just moments ago, the Los Angeles Angels struck a deal with the Minnesota Twins to acquire third baseman Gio Urshela.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Angels will be sending right-hander Alejandro Hidalgo back to the Twins.
Hidaldo was in Class-A with the Angels this season.
Urshela hit .285 with 13 home runs, 64 RBI, and a .767 OPS with the Twins during the 2022 season.
The veteran third baseman also tallied 43 extra-base hits and logged 215 total bases.
Urshela had been traded to the Twins during the offseason in the trade that sent Josh Donaldson back to the New York Yankees.
Halos Acquire Urshela
This is a good trade for the Angels.
With Anthony Rendon facing several question marks due to his recent string of injuries, adding Urshela gives the Halos a little bit of depth at the third base position.
The 31-year-old could also potentially be used as a designated hitter on occasion.
Urshela made his debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2015 and was with the team until 2017.
After a brief stop in Toronto, he spent the next three years with the Yankees.
As previously mentioned, the slugger was part of the deal that sent Donaldson back to the Yankees along with Ben Rortvedt and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Minnesota also acquired catcher Gary Sanchez in that deal.
The Angels had a disastrous 2022 season, but adding a veteran piece in Urshela should help improve the team’s depth as they look to bounce back in 2023, which will be Shohei Ohtani‘s final year under contract with the Halos.
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