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Cleveland Indians trade Giovanny Urshela to Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations

The Cleveland Indians have trade Giovanny Urshela to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians traded infielder Giovanny Urshela to the Toronto Blue Jays.

In order to complete the deal, the Indians will receive cash considerations.

The Indians confirmed the trade on their Twitter account Wednesday afternoon, shortly after earning a split in a two-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-2 win at Miller Park.

A native of Cartagena, Columbia, Urshela was in the Indians’ organization since 2009 and spent parts of two seasons at the big-league level.

In 2015, Urshela posted a .225 batting average, collected 60 hits, including eight doubles, one triple and six home runs, in 267 at-bats with 21 runs batted in, 25 runs scored and 18 walks drawn.

While Jose Ramirez blossomed into an every-day starter, and later, an American League All-Star, Urshela spent all of the 2016 season with the Columbus Clippers, the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate.

In Columbus, Urshela, who represented Team Columbia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, registered 128 hits in 468 at-bats (.274 batting average) with 24 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 57 RBI with 54 runs scored.

The 6-foot, 215-pound Urshela got another chance with the Indians in 2017, where in 67 games, he had 35 hits, including seven doubles and one home run, in 156 at-bats (.224 batting average), along with 15 RBI, 14 runs scored and eight walks against 22 strikeouts.

Urshela’s greatest value came from his defensive abilities, where he helped preserve the Indians’ American League-record 22-game winning streak with diving stops and solid throws in a game against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field last September.

One batter after pitcher Bryan Shaw made an error that cost him an out, Tigers catcher John Hicks smashed a grounder toward the hole at shortstop, but Urshela dove to his left, corralled the ball and muscled a throw over to second base for the second out of the inning.

Then, Urshela backhanded a grounder along the foul line and fired a throw over to first base for the final out of the inning.

Urshela’s defensive efforts helped preserve Cleveland’s 5-3 lead.

Urshela … unreal. pic.twitter.com/5Yod08lqry

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2017

Over 1,060.1 innings in 140 career games with the Indians, Urshela registered 69 put-outs, 211 assists and was part of 24 double plays turned.

ICYMI: Don’t you dare try and score on Giovanny Urshela. https://t.co/ViTpZmxHTV pic.twitter.com/hEv7jbMtzJ

— MLB (@MLB) August 5, 2017

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