Cleveland Indians: Giovanny Urshela dealt to Blue Jays

The Cleveland Indians have officially moved on from Gio Urshela, trading him today to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash or a player to be named later.

There was a small chance when the Indians designated Urshela for assignment, that he would go through unclaimed and stay with the organization and head to Triple-A. But, that was not the case.

The Indians were able to work out a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays and get something in return for the utility infielder.

Teams usually have six months to figure out who the player to be named later is, if there even is one. A lot of times in trades like this, it’s mostly just cash changing hands. If a player is named later in the return of this trade, it likely will be a low level minor leaguer. But if Urshela performs above expectations, the Tribe could end up getting a player in return, as his performance likely dictates the final return.

Urshela’s future

Urshela now goes to Toronto where he will get an opportunity to play in an infield with a few moving parts. Urshela’s primary position of third base is currently held by Josh Donaldson. Provided he’s healthy, Donaldson will play every day.

In the middle infield is where Urshela would likely get the most opportunities. Troy Tulowitzki still isn’t healthy and Lourdes Gurriel is currently playing shortstop for the Blue Jays, while Yangervis Solarte is at second base. There could be a chance for some decent playing time there for Urshela.

Indians moving on

The Cleveland Indians knew that something like this would happen when they put Urshela on waivers. Considering a trade was worked out with the potential for a PTBNL, that probably means that multiple teams put in a claim for Urshela. The Blue Jays didn’t have first priority and had to sweeten the deal to get the trade done and prevent a team below them from claiming him.

Good luck to Urshela as he begins his journey with his new team. Maybe a change of scenery will help his bat turn around. Urshela was a career .225 hitter in an Indians uniform.

Next: Defensive mishaps keep piling up

The Cleveland Indians will move forward with Erik Gonzalez as their primary backup infielder and move on from Urshela.