Remember the name whose grand slam propelled the Yankees into the ALDS from the 2020 Wild Card Series? The 34-year-old Gio Urshela, who had his two best seasons with the Yankees, decided to wrap up his playing career. He was last signed for a minor league by the Twins in February but was released before the season.

With Urshela, a glorious 10 MLB seasons come to an end.

“Classy veteran infielder Gio Urshela, who played parts of 10 seasons, announces his retirement,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale shared via X.

Urshela made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). Since then, he has played with 8 teams across 10 years. The retirement decision first came via Urshela’s Instagram with a long message. He shared a graphic mentioning all the teams he has played with all these years. Among the 8 teams have played, his best time was with the Yankees.

“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,” Gio Ulshera 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.”

He played with the Yankees between 2019 and 2021, hitting .292 with an .815 OPS and logging 6.4 WAR across 291 games. And that clutch grand slam in the 2020 Wild Card Series would always be remembered as one of the Yankees’ best moments.

However, despite hitting .267 with 14 homers in 2021, the Yankees traded Gio Urshela to the Twins in an exchange deal for Josh Donaldson. He, however, maintained his plate dominance with the Twins, hitting .285 and 13 HRs in 2022. That year, he played the highest 144 games. In a game against the Red Sox in August 2022, he sliced a dramatic bases-clearing double in the 8th inning to secure a 4-2 come-from-behind win for the Twins.

Since then, injuries have taken over, and he could play 128 games in 2024, his highest since 2022.

Urshela’s Yankees teammate Gleyber Torres reacted to his announcement. “Disfruta esta nueva etapa, hermano,” Torres said. In English, it means “enjoy this new chapter, brother.”

We also wish Urshela the best of luck in his retirement, although we are shocked by this sudden retirement at 34. One reason could be his injury. While playing for the Angels in 2023, Urshela sustained a fractured pelvis that forced him to miss the second half of the season. Unfortunately, he was never able to fully regain his previous offensive form or defensive range after this injury.

And lastly, after the Twins released him before the 2026 season start, Urshela faced an uphill battle to earn a roster spot. But the Yankees could have benefited from their former fan favorite in 2026?

The Yankees’ missed opportunity with Gio Urshela

The Yankees currently rank 20th in terms of average (.235). Apart from Ben Rice, no one is hitting above .300. Moreover, after Giancarlo Stanton got sidelined with injuries, the Yankees’ recent struggles with power hitting stem from an overly top-heavy lineup that heavily relies on superstars like Aaron Judge to drive the offense.

In this case, what could have been better than taking a career .270 batter at least for a short term? Urshela’s final MLB contract was a one-year, $2.15 million deal with the A’s. He batted .238 last year from his limited 59 games. That’s still better than what Austin Wells is currently hitting (.173). A minor league deal would have worked wonders.

Remember how, before arriving in New York, Gio Urshela struggled offensively with a career .225 batting average. The Yankees’ coaching staff altered his swing mechanics in 2019, turning him into an elite hitter who batted .314 with 21 home runs. So, who knows, 2026 could have been the same case. However, now that Urshela has wrapped up his journey, the Yankees might have lost an opportunity here, albeit for the short term.