The Marlins have shown interest in a free agent infielder, according to a report from Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Earlier in the offseason, the Yankees and Mets were also said to be interested. Miami is currently exploring the free agent market for infield help and has been targeting players like Tim Anderson, Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed, and Adalberto Mondesi.
Unlike the 25-cent coin, the 32-year-old Urshela has limited experience playing shortstop, which is the most likely position for him if he signs with the Marlins. The Marlins already have Jake Burger and Josh Bell lined up as their corner infielders, with Luis Arraez set to play second base. To accommodate Urshela, the team could potentially use Burger as a designated hitter more frequently or move him to first base with Bell taking on DH duties. Finding a shortstop has been a priority for Miami this offseason.
Urshela has played shortstop at various points in his career, including 71 innings with the Angels last season. Overall, he has logged 359 innings at the position in the majors and 276 innings in the minors. However, he has primarily been a third baseman, accumulating over 12,000 innings at the hot corner in both the big leagues and the minors.
While there may be some doubts about Urshela’s ability to be a full-time shortstop, there is little question about his hitting prowess. Since his breakout season with the Yankees in 2019, Urshela has posted a batting line of .291/.335/.452 in 1871 plate appearances. Although he has struck out at an 18.9% rate during that time, he has improved his contact skills over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2022 season, his strikeout rate has dropped to just 16.9%.
Despite his solid career performance, Urshela is also considered a candidate for a rebound. He had a slow start to the 2023 season with the Angels, hitting just two home runs and a meager .075 ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average) through mid-June. His season was cut short due to a pelvic fracture suffered on June 15, which required him to use crutches and prevented him from playing for the rest of the year.
The Marlins have yet to sign a free agent to a major league contract this offseason, making them the only team in MLB with this distinction. Adding Urshela would change that. Although he is a veteran looking to bounce back from an unusual injury, his track record is strong enough to warrant a major league deal, possibly even a two-year contract. The Marlins currently have a projected payroll of $97 million, which is approximately $13 million below their payroll at the end of the 2023 season, according to Roster Resource.
The exact payroll figure will become clearer once the Marlins resolve arbitration cases with their two most expensive players. Both Arraez and closer Tanner Scott exchanged arbitration figures with the team after failing to reach an agreement last month. Arraez requested a salary of $12 million, while the team filed at $10.6 million. Scott’s camp is seeking a $5.7 million salary against the Marlins’ $5.15 million submission.