Gio Urshela is creating a future offseason issue for the New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are rolling through the season with players that weren’t expected to see much playing time. Gio Urshela has taken over third base for the injured Miguel Andujar and may never give it back.

The name Gio Urshela didn’t ring a bell for many fans of the New York Yankees when their roster was announced to start the 2019 season. Critical injuries across the board for the team including the loss of starting third baseman Miguel Andujar for the entire year has quickly made him a household name to pinstripe fans.

Urshela since being inserted into the lineup as the new Yankees infielder has picked where Andujar left off last season. Initially known for his stellar defense in the infield Urshela has shocked many baseball critics with his hot bat all season producing in the clutch and driving in runs. The former Toronto Blue Jays utility player has a batting average well above .300 along with 60+ RBIs in the middle of August all career highs.

The batting average and power numbers have been impressive even more recently with his 18th home run in Toronto hitting the top of a restaurant. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was one of the many that marveled at the long shot against Urshela’s former team. Last weekend, Boone spoke with reporters about not being too surprised by the power surge.

"“Four-hundred sixty-one (feet) is a long way,” Boone said. “I mean, he hits one up on the restaurant the other day in Toronto. Again, from the start of spring training, what caught my eye was his ability in batting practice to just throw them out to straightaway center off the batter’s eye in Tampa and to the right of that. No, I’m not that surprised. He’s really come into his own as a hitter.”"

The success for the rest of this season is needed from Urshela, but it already has people thinking about next year and Andujar’s return. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will be tasked with trying to figure out who will be the team’s third baseman and overall infield moving forward. Urshela’s prolific defense will most likely give him the nod but will Andujar take the DH spot? Or will the Yankees look to trade him for more pitching?

The decisions that are needed this offseason usually work themselves out, but it’s a functional problem to have for any general manager. The Yankees have an embarrassment of abundant talent fro their minor league system so it should be an exciting spring in 2020.