Gio Urshela will always have 2019 to remember.
The ex-Yankees infielder announced his retirement Monday after a 10-year career that notably included his two best seasons with the Pinstripes.
Urshela, 34, signed with the Twins on a minor league deal before the season but did not make the Opening Day roster after playing for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.
“Today is the day. The day you never dream about, the day you never imagine, the day you never expect to come…but deep down you know that one day it will arrive,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Today is the day to close this chapter as a professional player, and this is not a moment to be sad, it is a moment to be grateful to God for allowing me to play this beautiful sport that changed my life.”
After a rough stretch to open his career with the Guardians and Blue Jays, the Colombia native’s career changed when the Yankees acquired him from Toronto for cash considerations in 2018.
His emergence that year came to personify a 2019 Yankees team that received career years from a variety of non-heralded players.
Urshela owned a career -1.2 bWAR entering that season, yet produced a 3.8 bWAR by slashing .314/.355/.534 for 21 homers and 74 RBIs to go along with stellar fielding.
He produced an .858 OPS across 43 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and his final season with the Yankees in 2021 saw a notable regression to a .720 OPS.
The Yankees then went big-game hunting that offseason and executed the terrible trade for Josh Donaldson, sending Urshela and Gary Sanchez to Minnesota.
Donaldson had an awful stint with the Yankees, while Urshela began bouncing around.
He played for five teams over the final four seasons of his career, suiting up for the Twins, Angels, Tigers, Braves and finally with the Athletics last season.
Urshela posted a .697 OPS after his final four seasons, including a .613 mark with the A’s last season.
For his career, the infielder hit .270 with a .314 on-base percentage and .407 slugging percentage, along with a career .972 fielding percentage.
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“Through baseball, I met wonderful people, people who contributed so much to my career and helped shape me into the person I am today,” he wrote.
“To my parents and brothers, whom I love so much, thank you for everything, for being there during those difficult moments we were able to overcome together.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
