Right-handed José Ureña According to Dan Hayes of Sports, the exemption has been cleared and elected as a free agent. A few days ago, the twins were designated as rightists Mick Alber.
Ureña, 33, is a well-known commodity at this point in his career. He threw hard, but didn’t have a lot of strikeouts. He will keep the ball in a nice clip in the strike zone and on the ground. The results won’t be surprising, but he can catch the ball and eat some innings. He has been on the injured list for far more than a few weeks since 2021.
A team usually grabs him when they need a fresh arm, either because they face some injury or a tough part of the schedule, but few stick to a club. As a veteran with years of experience, he has the right to refuse direct tasks and elect free agents, a right he is obviously willing to exercise. From early 2022 to now, he has been leaning towards the winemaker, Rockies, White Sox, Rangers, Mets, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Twins. The last four clubs are all this year.
From 2019 to now, he has recorded 495 1/3 of the innings with an average running of 5.09. His strikeout rate of 14.9% at that span is well below average, but his 9.1% walking rate is just around par. His ground ball rate dropped to 31.7% in 2025, but his usual figure is about 50%.
The team won’t be very excited about Ureña, but he should land somewhere. The fact that he cleared the waiver might suggest that he would be limited to minor league offers only. Teams always want depth, especially in this era of frequent pitching. With the trade deadline passing, it is difficult to find external additions.
Photo courtesy of Matt Krohn, Images by Imagn
