On a contract as yet unspecified in amount and duration, the Oakland A’s have taken a flyer on a former Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luis Urias, per MLB Trade Rumors.
In an unsuccessful 2024 campaign with the Mariners, Urias garnered 94 major league at bats in 41 games, hitting 4 homeruns and slashing .192/.303/.394. He spent most of the season in Seattle’s AAA affiliate Tacoma, in the Pacific Coast League, where he hit 10 homers in 77 games with a .791 OPS.
Whether Oakland has signed Urias to a major or minor league deal is not yet known. Hopefully a change of scenery and an opportunity in the show will reinvigorate the versatile fielder who solidified all three middle infield positions for Milwaukee in 2021 and ’22.
Oakland A’s Offer Fresh Start After Tough Go for Luis Urias Since Leaving Milwaukee Brewers
Urias has struggled since the Brewers traded him to Boston midway through 2023. After two productive seasons, a left hamstring strain sapped his performance in that year. After his Opening Day injury, did not see playing time in Milwaukee until June, accruing 55 at bats as a Brewer with a .145 batting average.
A month later he found himself in Boston’s minor league system and was recalled shortly after. He hit .225 with 2 homeruns in 89 at bats and finished the season on the injured list with a strained left calf. He was traded the Mariners that offseason and non-tendered after 2024.
Of his career 52 homeruns and 196 RBI, 39 and 122 of them came during 2021-22 with the Brewers. Of the 7.4 wins above replacement he has amassed in 7-year career, those two seasons accounted for 6.1. Those are the only times he has exceeded 215 at bats.
A .232 career hitter, one thing he has always had is discipline, reaching base at a .331 clip. During ’21 and ’22, he drew 113 walks and was hit by the pitch 21 times. Playing short, second, and third, he supplied solid pop and plus defense and finished third on the team in WAR both years.
The A’s apparently saw enough in the Sonora, Mexico native, who is still just 27 years old, to give him a chance in 2025.
Urias Has Solid Shot To Steal a Spot on Oakland’s Infield
Whether or not Urias begins the year on Oakland’s major league roster, he should have ample opportunity to claim at least a utility role, if not a starting job, at some point this season. His main competition at third base is Gio Urshela, who put up a .647 OPS in 2024 between the Tigers and Braves in 128 games and has not had a productive year since 2022.
The A’s will likely be content to ride with Zach Gelof at second, but next up on the depth chart is Max Schuemann, a .220 hitter as a ’24 rookie who provides defense and little else. Urias should compete for backup playing time there.
22-year-old Jacob Wilson, who has all of 92 MLB at bats, is penciled in as the starting shortstop. If he performs poorly in spring training, Urias could take his spot.
While the A’s look poised for another awful season, Urias should benefit from multiple chances at time on the diamond, an opportunity to get right after a pair of lost seasons. If he plays well enough, he could find himself dealt to a contender by the deadline. A nimble glove, a good eye and infield pop are reliably desirable commodities.
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