Tigers were surprise contenders for free agent utility man before signing Gio Urshela

When the Detroit Tigers signed utility infielder Gio Urshela to a one-year deal last week, it was a move that made a lot of sense. Urshela does exactly what the Tigers like and/or need: he can move around the infield, hits for contact, and doesn't strike out easily. The price point they got him at was a real steal, as well. If he hadn't been hurt for most of the 2023 season, they probably would've had to cough up more than the $1.5 million they agreed upon.

Urshela will presumably step in most at third base, and the Tigers may adapt him to second as they rotate players in and out of both positions. He'll also join Mark Canha as a veteran position player on a very young team.

However, Urshela wasn't the only veteran utility man still out there in free agency by the time he signed.

According to Kiké Hernández, who re-signed with the Dodgers four days after Urshela signed with Detroit, the Tigers were "very interested" in his services sometime in the three weeks leading up to his return to LA on Monday.

Detroit Tigers were "very interested" in utility man Kiké Hernández before signing Gio Urshela

Detroit wasn't one of the names in the running for Hernández at the end (it was mostly Angles, Twins, Giants, and Padres), but he would've made a lot of sense for the Tigers. He'll be going into his 11th season in 2024, can play all over the field, and is clearly a nice injection of sunshine into any clubhouse he walks into. The decision between Hernández and Urshela probably (definitely) came down to the money. Hernández signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Dodgers to Urshela's $1.5 million. Knowing this Tigers front office, $4 million probably wasn't a height they were willing to reach for.

Despite the vastly different price points, Urshela also does look like the better player on paper. His breakout season came in 2019 with the Yankees, when he hit .314/.355/.534 with 21 home runs, and Hernández has never quite reached those heights. Urshela was looking good before he got hurt last year, too; he was hitting .299 with 24 RBI.

So Tigers fans shouldn't be disappointed that the team didn't get Hernández, necessarily, but it is intriguing that they can clearly move in silence when they want to.