Infielder Richard Urena is returning to the Blue Jays on a minor league contract, per a club announcement. He’ll be invited to Major League Spring Training. Toronto also confirmed its previously reported minor league pacts with outfielder Forrest Wall and corner infielder Tyler White. They’ll both be in camp this spring as well.
Urena, 24, spent parts of the 2017-19 seasons with the Blue Jays, appearing in a total of 91 games and hitting .253/.300/.336 through 263 trips to the plate. A versatile defender with a solid defensive reputation as a prospect and a strong throwing arm, Urena logged time at shortstop (394 innings), second base (173 innings) and third base (53 innings) as a member of the Blue Jays over that three-year span. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating weren’t particularly bullish on his work at shortstop in that time, but it’s a relatively small sample from which to draw conclusions.
Toronto tried to pass Urena through waivers back in January, but he ended up being claimed by the Orioles, who successfully passed him through waivers not long thereafter. Urena didn’t make the cut for the Orioles’ 60-man player pool in the shortened 2020 season, however, and he’ll now return to the Jays organization as a depth piece who could give them some cover at multiple positions in 2021.
In 670 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Urena has posted a .250/.289/.373 batting line with 11 homers, 29 doubles, seven triples and five stolen bases (in 10 tries).
in other news, Manny Ramirez might not end up playing for the Blue Sox
They needed to pickup a middle infielder for AAA anyway. Sounds good.
Remember when this guy was a top 75 prospect
I remember wondering why, because there was never any evidence that he could hit.
2016
Is that another attempt at a joke? Because his 2016 numbers were not Top 75 prospect material up to that point.
Even in 2016, he didn’t show power or base stealing ability. He’s always been a guy who’d have to hit .300 and win gold gloves to be good because he doesn’t have any other tools. And players who can hit .300 every year are a very rare breed you don’t want to project from a single season in Dunedin.
Everyone has been laughing at all the Blue Jays big talk this off season, who’s laughing now?
Oh yea, those same people
Yes. This is definitely all the Jays will be doing.
You forgot the Ryu signing from last December?
It’s been a long off-season for everyone.. There’s been a lot of talk from literally every team besides the Mets.. for some reason you’re fixated on the Jays.
Yep. Sucks they missed out on their primary targets such as Springer, LeMahieu, and Realmuto. I must have missed their signings with other teams.
What?? The reporters are the ones flapping their gums. All the Jays have said is that they are after impact players, they cant help if reporters speculate and agents use their ‘interest’ as bargaining chips. You know, similar to what is also going on with the Mets supposedly in on everyone. Not sure why the chip on your shoulder about the Jays man but its kinda pathetic.
BrianS it’s pathetic you’d come up with that jab. Blue Jays owners own the media in Toronto. They own the TV, Radio, some of the print and the actual team. They control the narrative. The feeding of information starts from within. They receive very little pushback from the media because they control the overwhelming majority of it.
it’s December the off season began just a few months ago
Well NYstate, it is surely not your Yankees that are laughing, because all that big talk from the Jays has your team 25 mi short of signing Le Mahieu, He probably has the Jays offer sitting open on the table and it has the Yanks waffling!!!!
Good to have a position player that can pitch when your down 12 runs.
I like Urena as a player. Probably the best glove at SS that the Jays have now.
Espinal is better than Urena defensively. And probably offensively.
Hope they scrub him off well to remove any O’s contaminates.
That’s why the Orioles didn’t let him see in action because he had all of the containment from the Jays
They are interested in everyone and this is who they sign? I’m ashamed. I think I’ll change my picture now.
I liked Urena
Most likely AAA Shortstop (or 2B) with Espinal.
This is just a case of them getting back someone they lost to waivers and assigning him to AAA.
I don’t think the Jays ever wanted to lose Urena in the first place, so, yeah, nice to see him back.
Looking back, they had players they could have dropped and decided not to. They didn’t need to go through the trouble. But, when you have legends like Fisher and Valera you need to drop Urena!
Has anyone been following Vlad Jr’s play at 3rd in the Dominican league? It’s awful, urena can play 3rd and Vlad will be left at 1B/Dh.
There are several hundred better options than Urena at 3B.
Vlad is still at least 20 pounds overweight. Jays need a 3B and they should consider Arenado. Since they aren’t in on Bauer. Urena can’t field or hit enough to deserve a major league spot. He couldn’t cut it in Baltimore.
I saw a highlight of vlad jr trying to catch a popup in a dominican game. It was laughable.
I always liked Urena. He is only 24, so he can put something together. In any world he is better than Vlad Jr defensively.
It would be great for the Jays to acquire arenado. Shapiro and Atkins would have to wear their big boy pants to pull that trade off. Do you think they would do that?
No. I don’t see it but I do see the Jays trying to choke out the competition and drop the prices with the waiting game. Problem is, dropping the prices on free agents brings teams back into play. Jays have an incredible opportunity to seize the moment.
There is a silver lining of not having Arenado’s contract for 6 years. Free agency should be route #1. It keeps your prospects for the inevitable trade needed down the road.
I wouldn’t think of Vlad play 3B again until he loses at least another 20 pounds. Even then it would be against LHP only, and that’s no guarantee either.