NEW YORK, May 18, 2026, 14:06 (EDT)
Gio Urshela, the Colombian infielder who won over Yankees fans during his 2019 breakout, said Monday he’s retiring after 10 seasons in the majors. Age 34.
There’s a distinctly New York flavor to the timing here. The Yankees kick off a home set Monday with Toronto—the same club that traded Urshela to New York back in 2018—fresh off dropping two of three to the Mets this past weekend.
This comes after Urshela’s previous effort to keep his career going fizzled out. The Twins had signed him to a minor-league contract in February—he wasn’t on the major-league roster—and ended up cutting him loose on March 20. Before camp opened, MLB.com’s Matthew Leach pointed out the uphill battle: “would appear to be against Urshela,” with Minnesota already deep at the corners. Mlb
Urshela signaled it was time to “close this chapter,” according to the New York Post. Sporting News highlighted his Instagram post, which included the Spanish words “Siempre Agradecido,” meaning “Forever Grateful.” New York Post
He exits his career with 759 hits, 73 homers, 352 RBIs and a .270 average. That’s a .721 OPS across his time in the regular season. MLB records his debut as June 9, 2015, and gives Cartagena, Colombia as his birthplace.
The retirement announcement lands differently because of his Yankees stretch. Over 291 games from 2019 to 2021, Urshela slashed .292 with 41 home runs and 153 RBIs for New York, piling up 6.4 bWAR — that’s Baseball Reference’s wins above replacement, a catch-all for player value.
Back in 2019, Aaron Boone described Urshela and Mike Tauchman as “impact players” while the Yankees rode a hot streak—Urshela had just launched two home runs in a game against Toronto for the second day in a row. At that point, Urshela reflected on his move from the Blue Jays, calling it “a big change” for his career. SI
The Yankees shipped Urshela and catcher Gary Sánchez to Minnesota back in March 2022, landing Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt in return. Urshela went on the move again after that, making stops with the Twins, Angels, Tigers, Braves and finally the Athletics—where he played his last major-league games in 2025.
There’s one wrinkle—baseball retirements aren’t set in stone; players sometimes walk it back if a team comes calling. Still, Urshela’s actions lately have suggested otherwise: the Athletics sidelined him last May with a left hamstring strain, then cut ties in August. Minnesota let him go this spring.
No changes for the Yankees’ roster here. Their focus stays fixed on Toronto and the push through the AL East. As for Urshela, his story is still summed up by 2019—a bargain addition who tweaked his swing in New York and stretched a depth signing into three solid seasons with the club.
