It’s been five years since Guo Urshela last played for the New York Yankees, but they’re the team most fans associate with him.
After not signing with an MLB team through the first 47 games of the year, the 34-year-old infielder decided to officially call it a career, announcing the news on Instagram.
“Today is the day,” Urshela posted. “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.
“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. Through baseball, I met wonderful people, people who contributed so much to my career and helped shape me into the person l am today.”
Urshela, who played every infield position except second base, had his best season with the Yankees back in 2019. He hit .314 with 21 home runs, and 74 RBIs — all career-best numbers — plus 139 hits.
His most memorable moment in Pin Stripes came during the AL Wild Card Series in 2020. In Game 2 of that series, Urshela became the first third baseman in Yankees’ history to hit a grand slam in the postseason.
That performance helped New York sweep the series against the then Cleveland Indians and push the team to the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Urshela was ultimately traded along with Gary Sanchez for former AL MVP Josh Donaldson in a deal that subsequently blew up in New York’s face.
He spent three years with the Yankees from 2019 to 2021, and he had additional stints with the Cleveland Guardians (2015, 2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2018), Minnesota Twins (2022), Los Angeles Angels (2023), Detroit Tigers (2024), Atlanta Braves (2024), and Oakland A’s (2025).
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