Julio Urías knows that the word Mexican Selection is very hurt. The starting pitcher who carries the name of our country to the Major Leagues sees the World Baseball Classic as an opportunity to heal the misperception and show fans that not everything is soccer “there are more sports (…) I feel that The players who are on this side are not by chance; It is for work, because we make a party to be here ”.
The left-handed pitcher is the captain of a 30-man Tricolor roster. The debut will be against Colombia, then they will meet the United States, Great Britain and the closing of the first round is against Canada.
_How would you define the context of your career in this World Classic?
“The truth is that I feel happy to do it (Play the Classic) I had already done it in 2017, but I was in a different situation in my career and I could not make the decision for myself, it was different. Now I have more confidence in the team (The Dodgers) and that permission to miss training. They know how I work and how I focus, they know that part of the leave was thanks to that, ”he replied to El Economista.
In February 2017, Urías signed his first one-year contract with the Dodgers and was in his second year of pre-arbitration. It had already taken him about five years to stay with the franchise since he was signed. At that time the team did not allow him to go to the Classic because he had him considered in the rotation.
Today, the 26-year-old from Sinaloa has already polished his profile. He is the stamp of the save that gave the Dodgers the title in the 2020 World Series, finished in third place in voting for the American League Cy Young Award in 2022 and will take the mound for Mexico for the first time. time in the Classic.
_You have the spotlight on the Mexican roster because of what you have achieved in your career with Los Dodgers. Do you think that the franchise you play influences so that the fans pay full attention?
“We know what Los Dodgers means, we know that most of the Mexican fans go to him and I feel identified with that and it has been part of a lot of motivation to want to represent Mexico. We know that in Los Angeles there are many Mexicans who support me and we must give them the opportunity to see us in the Mexican uniform, I feel that it will be something very special for them, “he replied to this newspaper.
Urías will be a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, just like Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard. He currently receives a one-year, $14.2 million contract. His agent Scott Boras often lets his players’ contracts expire to negotiate for more money for the next one.
“He gives the (Dodgers) team the best moment of his career,” the agent told the Los Angeles Times.
Media in the city of LA estimate that a new agreement for Urías could last eight years, that is, when he exceeds 30 years of age.
At the beginning of February, the player was questioned about the continuity or not of his contract in a training session in Los Angeles.
“We have the WBC (World Classic) and then we have the season and those are the two things I’m focused on right now. My representatives and (the team) will have the opportunity to speak, but I’m 100% focused on the field.” .
