Diamondbacks Sign Luis Urías To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have signed infielder Luis Urías to a minor league deal, according to the Reno Aces, the club’s Triple-A affiliate. It’s unclear if the Wasserman client will report to major league or minor league camp.
Urías, 29 in June, was once a solid regular for the Brewers. He hit 39 home runs over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, producing a combined .244/.340/.426 line and 111 wRC+. He bounced around the dirt, making at least 49 starts at each of shortstop, second base and third base. FanGraphs credited him with 4.7 wins above replacement in that span.
Unfortunately, his production tailed off in 2023 and he’s been more of a role player in recent years. He has 616 plate appearances since the start of 2023 with a .213/.319/.337 line and 88 wRC+. He signed with the A’s last year and hit .230/.315/.338 for an 84 wRC+ in 96 games before being released in August. He spent the final few weeks of 2025 back with the Brewers on a minor league deal.
Arizona has Geraldo Perdomo at short, Ketel Marte at second and Nolan Arenado at third. They have Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez also on the roster as potential bench infielders, though Fernandez has options and hasn’t yet played at the Triple-A level, so he’ll almost certainly start the season in the minors. Tawa has 74 big league games under his belt and could be on the major league bench but he also has options and could be sent to the farm.
The Snakes have Ildemaro Vargas and Jacob Amaya around as infielders with some major league experience who are signed to minor league deals. Urías will jump into that group and provide the Diamondbacks with some more non-roster veteran depth on the dirt.
Players Entering Minor League Free Agency
Major League free agents became eligible to sign with other teams on Thursday, but the minor league free agent market has technically been open since season’s end. MLBTR has published several posts detailing players who had already elected to become minor free agents, but Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (multiple links) has the full account of all the minor league free agents that officially joined their big league counterparts on the open market on Thursday.
This list details only players who have played in the Major Leagues, and whose minor league free agency hasn’t already been covered on MLBTR in the last month.
Athletics: Aaron Brooks, Carlos Duran, CD Pelham, Bryan Lavastida, Nick Martini, Alejo Lopez
Braves: Ian Anderson, Davis Daniel, Enoli Paredes, Amos Willingham, Brian Moran, Jonathan Ornelas, Chandler Seagle, Matthew Batten, Conner Capel
Orioles: Jakson Reetz, Livan Soto, Thaddeus Ward
Red Sox: John Brebbia, Isaiah Campbell, Mark Kolozsvary, Chadwick Tromp, Seby Zavala, Trayce Thompson
Cubs: Yency Almonte, Zach Pop, Caleb Kilian, Austin Gomber, Forrest Wall, Billy Hamilton, Joe Ross, Tommy Romero, Antonio Santos, Tom Cosgrove, Dixon Machado, Nicky Lopez, Carlos Perez
White Sox: Elvis Peguero, Kyle Tyler, Vinny Capra, Chris Rodriguez, Caleb Freeman, Joe Perez, Owen White, Andre Lipcius
Reds: Tejay Antone, Alan Busenitz, Buck Farmer, Josh Staumont, P.J. Higgins, Eric Yang, Levi Jordan, Edwin Rios, Davis Wendzel, Evan Kravetz, Adam Plutko, Charlie Barnes, Alex Young
Guardians: Riley Pint, Tyler Naquin, Parker Mushinski
Rockies: Xzavion Curry, Sean Bouchard, Owen Miller, Karl Kauffmann,
Tigers: Kevin Newman, Brian Serven, Jordan Balazovic, Nick Margevicius, Blair Calvo
Astros: Jon Singleton, Joe Hudson, Kenedy Corona, Greg Jones, Matt Bowman, Luis Contreras, Tyler Ivey, John Rooney
Royals: John Gant, Spencer Turnbull, Bobby Dalbec, Diego Castillo, Geoff Hartlieb, Jordan Groshans, Nick Pratto, Isan Diaz, Stephen Nogosek, Nick Robertson, Joey Krehbiel, Noah Murdock, Ryan Hendrix
Angels: Shaun Anderson, Brandon Drury, Yolmer Sanchez, Ben Gamel, Evan White, Cavan Biggio, Logan Davidson, Travis Blankenhorn, Oscar Colas, Kelvin Caceres, Dakota Hudson, Chad Stevens, Angel Felipe, Jordan Holloway, Victor Gonzalez
Dodgers: Michael Grove, Luken Baker, Giovanny Gallegos, Kyle Funkhouser, Chris Okey, CJ Alexander, Zach Penrod
Marlins: Jack Winkler, Lane Ramsey
Brewers: Luis Urias, Oliver Dunn, Julian Merryweather, Daz Cameron, Drew Avans, Josh Maciejewski, Jared Oliva
Twins: Jose Miranda, Anthony Misiewicz, Jonah Bride, Thomas Hatch, Daniel Duarte, Connor Gillispie
Mets: Joey Meneses, Jose Azocar, Joe La Sorsa, Gilberto Celestino, Ty Adcock, Bryce Montes de Oca, Yacksel Rios, Oliver Ortega, Luis De Los Santos
Yankees: Kenta Maeda, Jeimer Candelario, Rob Brantly, Andrew Velazquez, Jose Rojas, Joel Kuhnel, Wilking Rodriguez
Phillies: Matt Manning, Adonis Medina, Lucas Sims, Jacob Waguespack, Phil Bickford, Rodolfo Castro, Oscar Mercado, Brewer Hicklen, Christian Arroyo, Payton Henry
Pirates: Brett Sullivan, Nick Solak, Nelson Velazquez, Beau Burrows, Ryder Ryan
Cardinals: Zach Plesac, Anthony Veneziano, Tyler Matzek, Zack Weiss, Drew Rom, Aaron Wilkerson
Padres: Eguy Rosario, Tim Locastro, Reiss Knehr, Nate Mondou
Giants: Sean Hjelle, Miguel Diaz, Max Stassi, Sam Huff, Cole Waites, Drew Ellis, Ethan Small
Mariners: Michael Fulmer, Casey Lawrence, Collin Snider, Jesse Hahn, Nick Anderson, Josh Fleming, Austin Shenton, Jacob Nottingham, Beau Taylor, Cade Marlowe, Jack Lopez, Michael Mariot, Hagen Danner
Rays: Cooper Hummel, Jonathan Hernandez, Jamie Westbrook, Tres Barrera
Rangers: Omar Narvaez, Cal Quantrill, Ty Blach, Alan Trejo, Joe Barlow, Cory Abbott, Michael Plassmeyer, Alex De Goti
Blue Jays: Eloy Jimenez, Buddy Kennedy, Joe Mantiply, Elieser Hernandez, Rene Pinto, Adam Kloffenstein
Nationals: Francisco Mejia, Juan Yepez, Joan Adon, CJ Stubbs, Parker Dunshee, Erick Mejia, Adrian Sampson, Delino DeShields
Brewers Sign Luis Urias To Minor League Contract
The Brewers have signed infielder Luis Urias to a minor league deal, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Urias will report to Triple-A Nashville for what will be his second stint in the Brewers organization.
The veteran signed a $1.1MM free agent deal with the Athletics last winter, and Urias banked an extra $300K in bonus money by making at least 300 plate appearances in an A’s uniform. In 330 PA, Urias hit .230/.315/.338 with eight home runs while getting mostly regular action at second base, with a handful of starts at third base as well.
Since the A’s are well out of playoff contention and wanted to give playing time to younger talent, the team opted to designate Urias for assignment last week and then released him after he cleared waivers. There is only around $180K remaining on Urias’ salary, and the A’s will cover whatever remains of that total, minus the portion of the prorated MLB minimum salary that will be paid by the Brewers for however much time Urias spends on the active roster.
While he’ll start his Brewers return in Nashville, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Urias back up in Milwaukee before too long. Joey Ortiz is expected to return from his hamstring strain pretty soon, but a veteran like Urias may be a preferable depth option over rookie Anthony Siegler on the Brew Crew’s bench. Urias could also get some time at third base in place of Caleb Durbin, even though Durbin has been reinforcing his spot in the lineup with some hot hitting as of late. Bringing Urias back before September 1 makes him eligible for the postseason, and the league-leading Brewers certainly are already thinking about October roster plans.
A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Urias enjoyed his two best years as a regular with Milwaukee in 2021-22. He hit .244/.340/.426 over 1042 plate appearances while getting close to everyday playing time as a third baseman and shortstop in 2021, and then in more of a utility role at those two positions plus second base in 2022. A dropoff at the plate in 2023 led the Brewers to trade Urias to the Red Sox at the deadline, and his bat didn’t fare much better during his time in Boston or with the Mariners in a part-time role in 2024.
A’s Release Luis Urias
The Athletics released infielder Luis Urías, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He’d been designated for assignment on Monday. Urías has sufficient service time to refuse a minor league assignment while collecting what remains of his $1.1MM salary, so a release was inevitable. The A’s preferred to give playing time to controllable infielders Zack Gelof, Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris for the stretch run.
The 28-year-old Urías can now set out in search of a new opportunity. He’d need to sign somewhere by September 1, at least on a minor league deal, to be eligible for a postseason roster. Urías will be a free agent at the beginning of the offseason in either case, so he’ll presumably only draw interest from a contender that wants to strengthen its infield depth.
Urías got out to a decent start to the season. He hit four homers with a .245/.345/.490 showing through the end of April. He has an underwhelming .227/.309/.307 slash in 271 plate appearances since the beginning of May. Urías has sliced his strikeout rate to a career-low 13.6% clip, but he hasn’t been much more productive overall than he was between 2023-24. He rarely makes hard contact and hasn’t hit for much power since combining for 39 homers with the Brewers from 2021-22.
Defensive metrics grade Urías around league average at both second and third base. He’s a righty hitter who has generally been better against left-handed pitching, as one would expect. That hasn’t been the case this season, as he’s hitting .183 with one homer in 68 plate appearances with the platoon advantage. If he catches on with another team before year’s end, his signing club would pay him the prorated $760K league minimum.
Athletics Designate Luis Urías For Assignment
The Athletics announced today that second baseman Zack Gelof has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. Fellow infielder Luis Urías has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
Urías, 28, signed with the A’s in the offseason. The one-year deal guaranteed him $1.1MM, with some bonuses based on plate appearances also in the deal. There was a time where it looked like that deal was going to work out quite well for the A’s. Urías hit .245/.345/.490 through the end of April, with that line translating to a 127 wRC+. In May, his production dropped a bit but was still passable. He still had a decent .244/.333/.407 line and 105 wRC+ by the start of June.
Unfortunately, things have soured from there. Since the end of May, Urías has a .217/.298/.276 line and 63 wRC+ in 171 plate appearances. With Urías an impending free agent and the A’s out of contention, he was a logical trade candidate. However, that dip in performance presumably tanked his trade value, as the A’s didn’t end up flipping him anywhere. A stint on the injured list in July for a right hamstring strain presumably didn’t help.
As Urías has been slumping, Gelof has been getting back on track in Triple-A. His 2025 season was initially thrown off course by injuries. He started the season on the IL due to hamate surgery. While trying to work his way back from that, he suffered a stress reaction in his ribs. He was reinstated from the IL in July but then hit .080/.143/.080 in eight games, at which point the A’s optioned him down to Vegas.
Since getting optioned, he has stepped to the plate 155 times for the Aviators. He has hit 11 home runs and drawn a walk in 11.6% of his plate appearances. His 27.7% strikeout rate is still high but something of an improvement for him. He has a 32.3% strikeout rate in his big league career. Even in Triple-A from 2022 to 2024, his 28.1% strikeout rate was a bit higher than what he’s done lately.
The A’s are 10.5 games back of a playoff spot, so they are in a spot where it makes sense to prioritize the future over the present. Urías was a few weeks away from returning to free agency, so he doesn’t do anything for them down the line. Gelof, on the other hand, could still be a part of the club’s future. He has just over two years of big league service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration. He can be retained for four more years after this one. He will also still has two more option years after 2025, so future optional assignments could even extend the club’s window of control.
For now, it makes sense to give the second base job to Gelof. He has shown some good pop in his time, with 31 home runs in 875 big league plate appearances. He’ll need to cut down on the strikeouts but regular playing time could help with that. The A’s can give him the final few weeks of the season to see how he handles it. His performance in that stretch could determine if they look for external additions in the offseason or plan on Gelof being their second baseman in 2026.
Since the trade deadline has passed, Urías will be available on waivers in the coming days. There’s still about $200K left on his deal and he hasn’t been playing well lately, so it’s unlikely any club would claim him. If he if passed through waivers unclaimed, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. The A’s might skip that formality and simply release him.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
Athletics Reinstate Zack Gelof, Release T.J. McFarland
The Athletics announced today that infielder Zack Gelof has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. He’ll take the active roster spot of infielder Luis Urías, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right hamstring, retroactive to July 3rd. The 40-man roster had a vacancy, so no corresponding move was required there. The A’s also announced that left-hander T.J. McFarland, who was designated for assignment last week, has been released.
Gelof has been on the IL all year up until now. He started the season on the shelf due to a hamate fracture. He was on a rehab assignment by late April but that was shut down after a few days due to a stress reaction in his ribs.
Now he can finally begin his season. He has shown some promise in his career so far but with some clear strikeout concerns. He debuted in 2023 with 14 home runs and 14 steals in just 69 games, but was punched out in 27.3% of his plate appearances. Last year, that strikeout rate jumped to 34.4% and he only hit 17 homers, despite getting into twice as many games. But his second base defense was solid and he stole another 25 bags, so he was still a useful player.
Ideally, continued reps will help him get that strikeout rate down to a more manageable level. The injuries have stood in the way of that path so far in 2025 but there’s still almost half the season to go. Urías has been the club’s regular second baseman lately, so Gelof can perhaps just slide into that spot and continue his development.
Urías is having a decent season and should be a midseason trade candidate. He’s an impending free agent making just $1.1MM this year. He is slashing .239/.320/.363 for a wRC+ of 91. The injury complicates things somewhat but it doesn’t appear to be serious. Manager Mark Kotsay didn’t think it was an IL stint as of Wednesday, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Though the club has decided to shelve him, he may be back right after the break.
As for McFarland, once he was designated for assignment, it was likely he would end up on the open market. He is making $1.8MM this year and has a 6.89 earned run average. No club was going to have interest in taking that salary on. As a veteran with years of experience, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. The A’s have skipped that formality.
Now that he has been released, they are on the hook for that salary. Any other club can sign him and only pay him the prorated version of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. At that price point, clubs could be interested.
He has a 4.18 ERA in over a decade in the big leagues and his 2025 struggles may have been partially due to luck. His .393 batting average on balls in play and 66.2% strand rate are both to the unlucky side. His 9.5% strikeout rate was low even by his usual standards but his 61.3% ground ball rate was still strong. His 4.62 FIP and 3.83 SIERA suggest he might still be the same guy, despite this year’s ERA spike.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Athletics Sign Luis Urias
The A’s announced Monday that they’ve signed infielder Luis Urias to a one-year contract. There’s a reported $1.1MM guarantee for the Wasserman client. The deal also performance bonuses, including $150K apiece at 200, 300, 350, 400, and 500 plate appearances. Righty Luis Medina, who is recovering from UCL surgery, was moved to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.
Urias, 27, drew some interest from the Twins within the past couple weeks as well, but they opted to instead add Ty France to their infield mix, ostensibly filling the last spot on their expected roster. He’ll instead give the A’s some cover at multiple positions, providing needed insurance given an infield full of question marks.
The A’s are hoping for rebound efforts from both second baseman Zack Gelof and third base frontrunner Gio Urshela, who inked a big league deal earlier this winter. They’re also relying on young Jacob Wilson at shortstop, and while he’s a former top-10 pick and regarded as one of MLB’s top 50 or so prospects, he still has only 103 big league plate appearances to his credit.
Urias spent the 2024 season with the Mariners but fared poorly in a platoon setup with Josh Rojas. In just 109 big league plate appearances, the former Padres top prospect hit .191/.303/.394. That was the second straight season with a sub-.200 average for Urias. He was an above-average producer in a near full-time role with the Brewers from 2021-22, hitting .244/.340/.426 with 39 homers in 1042 plate appearances, but Urias has seen his strikeout, ground-ball and pop-up rates spike in the two years since that solid run.
Defensively, Urias has more than 1000 innings of big league experience at each of second base, shortstop and third base. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average cast him as a substantially below-average defender at short, however, and the Brewers clearly agreed, moving him off the position permanently back in 2022. He’s been average at second per both DRS and OAA, while the former metric pegs him as plus at third base to the latter’s slightly negative review.
That versatility could also line Urias up to fill a traditional utility role. The A’s currently have light-hitting Max Schuemann and prospect Darell Hernaiz as options for that role on the 40-man roster. Neither has hit in the majors, however, and both have just a year of big league time under their belts (slightly less for Hernaiz, actually) — despite the fact that Schuemann is only eight days younger than Urias.
Martin Gallegos of MLB.com first reported that Urias was in the A’s clubhouse. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 had the salary and bonuses.
Twins Have Shown Interest In Paul DeJong, Luis Urías
The Twins are interested in adding infield depth, particularly at shortstop, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic. As part of that desire, free agents Paul DeJong and Luis Urías are two players they have recently checked in on. They also checked in on Jon Berti before he signed with the Cubs last month.
Adding depth is a sensible add for a club that was felled by injuries last year. The Twins were in playoff position for much of the 2024 season but went 9-18 in September, falling four games short of a postseason berth. Key players like Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and others missed time in the second half as the club failed to tread water. Bolstering that depth makes plenty of sense. The club agreed to a deal with Harrison Bader this week, strengthening the outfield group, with an infield addition perhaps next on the to-do list.
Health has long been a focus for Correa. As a free agent, he famously had a couple of mega deals scuttled by concerns around his lower right leg. The Giants walked away from a 13-year, $350MM agreement with Correa after growing concerned about his right ankle going into the 2023 season. That led him to work out a 12-year, $315MM pact with the Mets, though they also had enough concern with the ankle to walk away. That led Correa back to the Twins on a six-year, $200MM pact with four vesting options.
In the first year of that deal, Correa got into 135 games but battled plantar fasciitis in his right foot. That seemed to impact his performance, as he hit .230/.312/.399 for a wRC+ of 95, his worst performance in a full season. He got back on track last year with a .310/.388/.517 line and 155 wRC+, but that plantar fasciitis and an oblique strain limited him to just 86 contests.
While Correa was away, Willi Castro got a lot of his playing time. He had a good season at the plate, slashing .247/.331/.385 for a 108 wRC+, but is overmatched as a defender at short. He has 1,187 2/3 innings at the position in his career, with more than a third of that coming in 2024. Defensive Runs Saved has given him a -21 grade at the position in his career, including -9 last year. Outs Above Average hasn’t been quite as negative, giving Castro +3 last year, but -3 in his career.
Since he can play other positions, Castro is perhaps better suited to being a super utility player who could play shortstop in a pinch, with the Twins adding a firmer backup at the position. They also have Edouard Julien and Austin Martin on the roster, though neither is considered a capable big league shortstop.
DeJong, 31, would certainly qualify based on his overall track record. He has logged 6543 1/3 innings at short in his career with +32 DRS and +2 OAA. DRS did drop him down to -9 last year, though that was his first negative score from that metric in his career.
Offensively, DeJong’s profile is well established, with lots of home runs and lots of strikeouts. That continued last year, as he launched 24 home runs between the White Sox and Royals but was also punched out at a massive 32.4% clip. Zack Gelof and Tyler O’Neill were the only two players with at least 450 plate appearances and a higher strikeout rate. In spite of the punchouts, the power helped him put up a .227/.276/.427 line and 95 wRC+. That was actually a nice upswing for him, since he hit a combined .189/.253/.330 for a 61 wRC+ in the previous two seasons.
Urías, 28 in June, would similarly come with concerns about inconsistency. He hit a combined .244/.340/.426 over 2021 and 2022 with the Brewers, production that translated to a 111 wRC+. He dipped to .194/.337/.299 and an 83 wRC+ between the Brewers and Red Sox in 2023. He was traded to the Mariners last year but kept in the minors until the end of August. He had a strong .260/.378/.413 line in Triple-A but then produced a .191/.303/.394 slash in 109 major league plate appearances down the stretch. That latter line came with four home runs but a 31.2% strikeout rate.
Defensively, Urías doesn’t have the same track record as DeJong. He has 1,116 innings at the shortstop position with marks of -6 DRS and -15 OAA. He hasn’t played there at the big league level since 2022.
Both DeJong and Urías can play other infield positions as well, which is likely important. Lewis projects as the club’s third baseman and has long-standing injury issues of his own. He has only played 152 games over his three-year career thanks to various ailments. Projected second baseman Brooks Lee dealt with a lower back strain and biceps tendinitis last year, only getting into 50 games. First baseman José Miranda had much of his 2023 wiped out by shoulder surgery. He bounced back in 2024 but was still limited to 121 games with a couple of IL stints for lower back strains.
Though adding more depth makes sense, the budget is still an ongoing question. For much of the winter, it seems as though the club might have to cut payroll before making any additions, leading to rumors involving Castro, catcher Christian Vázquez and righty Chris Paddack. More recently, Hayes reported last week that the club could actually add about $5MM to the payroll without subtractions. Since then, they agreed to deals with Bader and lefty Danny Coulombe worth $6.25MM and $3MM respectively.
DeJong or Urías shouldn’t cost much. Last winter’s deal with the White Sox only guaranteed DeJong $1.75MM. On the heels of a relative bounceback, he might be able to earn a raise, but it shouldn’t be massive. Urías was arbitration eligible this winter, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $5MM salary, but the Mariners outrighted him off their roster at season’s end.
The club has already spent a bit more than the $5MM Hayes was expecting as of a week ago. Whether they can add another modest deal remains to be seen, but some roster creativity might come up regardless. The Bader and Coulombe deals are still unofficial and the 40-man roster is full, so couple of spots have to be opened. If the club wants to add an infielder, that means a third spot will be required. Perhaps the combined payroll/roster crunch will lead to some maneuverings for the Twins in the final days before spring training gets rolling.
Mariners Decline Option On Jorge Polanco; Luis Urias Elects Free Agency
The Mariners on Friday declined their $12MM club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco, per a team announcement. He’ll be paid a $750K buyout and become a free agent. The M’s also announced that infielder Luis Urias went unclaimed on outright waivers and elected free agency. Their 40-man roster is currently at 36 players.
Seattle acquired the switch-hitting Polanco from the Twins last offseason in a trade sending reliever Justin Topa, veteran righty Anthony DeSclafani, prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen, and cash back to Minnesota. The hope at the time was that the steady Polanco would solidify what had been a revolving door at second base for two seasons in Seattle. Instead, Polanco became the latest notable veteran to arrive in Seattle and see his offensive production unexpectedly decline in swift fashion.
Polanco hit .270/.338/.455 in nearly 2700 plate appearances with the Twins from 2018-23, only once posting below-average offense in a season (2020). He’d incurred some injury troubles in the two years immediately preceding the swap but was entering his age-30 season. There was little reason to expect a steep decline at the plate, but that’s exactly what played out. Polanco, a 2019 All-Star, got out to an awful .197/.285/.298 slash through the first three months of the season. He picked up the pace considerably in July, but by that point there was little salvaging his season. He wound up with career-lows in batting average (.213) and on-base percentage (.298). His .355 slugging percentage was exactly one point higher than his career-worst .354 from that shortened 2020 season.
The career-worst showing at the plate for Polanco was at least in part due to knee troubles. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported a couple weeks back that Polanco was slated to undergo surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee. That’s the same knee that landed Polanco on the injured list for the final month of the 2022 season and for the first three weeks of the 2023 campaign. Depending on the extent to which the injury has been nagging him, it’s certainly possible that a healthier Polanco could return to form in short order next season. It’s not yet clear exactly how long he’ll need to recover, but if Polanco is expected back on time for Opening Day 2025, he ought to command a one-year deal with incentives this offseason.
As for Urias, this is the second time the Mariners passed him through waivers. He accepted an outright assignment last time around, as electing free agency following his midseason outright would’ve required forfeiting the remainder of his salary. He’s no longer on a guaranteed deal, however, and was arbitration-eligible — with a projected $5MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). The M’s were never likely to pay that price a second time, leaving Urias as one of the more clear-cut non-tender candidates in the league. Today’s outright is tantamount to non-tendering him a couple weeks ahead of the deadline to do so.
Urias, 27, was one of the top prospects in baseball during his minor league days with the Padres. He had a pair of solid seasons following a trade to the Brewers, hitting a combined .244/.340/.426 in 2021-22. However, Urias’ production tanked with a .194/.337/.299 slash in 2023, and he wasn’t able to get back on track in 2024, hitting only .191/.303/.394. He’s capable of playing multiple infield spots but is better suited at second and third base than at shortstop. A team seeking a right-handed utility infielder could look to Urias on a minor league deal or perhaps a low-cost one-year pact with some incentives baked in.
Mariners Select Luis Urias
The Mariners announced this evening that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Luis Urias from Triple-A Tacoma. The club designated infielder Terrin Vavra for assignment and optioned left-hander Gabe Speier to Triple-A in corresponding moves.
Urias, 27, joined the Mariners back in November when he was acquired from the Red Sox in trade. Urias entered the 2024 season seemingly poised to share time at third base with Josh Rojas while also filling in occasionally at the keystone for veteran second baseman Jorge Polanco in the club’s infield mix following the club’s decision to move on from third baseman Eugenio Suarez over the winter. Unfortunately for Urias, however, Rojas caught fire to open the season with an eye-popping .351/.417/.526 slash line in his first 30 games of the 2024 campaign.
That allowed Rojas to secure more and more playing time that was initially expected to go to Urias, and it didn’t help matters that Urias himself was struggling badly at the plate. Urias hit just .152/.264/.317 in 91 trips to the plate over the first two months of the season before the Mariners decided to option him to the minors on May 24. Urias found himself outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster shortly thereafter, and since then has been working toward a return at the Triple-A level.
He’s seen some real improvement since going down to the minors with a .261/.379/.415 slash line in 349 trips to the plate with Tacoma this year. That’s good for only a 104 wRC+ due to the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, but even numbers 4% better than average are a significant step up when compared to the 75 wRC+ Urias was posting in the majors prior to his demotion. Now, Urias appears poised to join Rojas, Polanco, Leo Rivas, and Dylan Moore, in the mix for playing time at second and third base down the stretch. The return of Urias to the big league roster could free up Moore for occasional appearances in the outfield/DH mix as well, improving the overall flexibility of Seattle’s lineup.
Making room for Urias on the 40-man roster is Vavra, who the club claimed off waivers from the Orioles just last week. Vavra, 27, has missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder and was outrighted off the Orioles’ 40-man roster back in November. He hit fairly well upon his return to action at Triple-A, however, and earned a call up back to the majors in the aftermath of the trade deadline but was immediately optioned back to the minor leagues and wound up designated for assignment a few weeks later. Now he’s once again set to hit the waiver wire, where any of the league’s 29 other clubs can claim him. Vavra hasn’t played in the majors yet this year and struggled amid the aforementioned shoulder issues last year but could intrigue clubs based on his solid 40-game cup of coffee with the Orioles in 2022 where he slashed .258/.340/.337 (99 wRC+) in 103 trips to the plate.