The Toronto Blue Jays have reached an agreement with designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach on a free agent contract, according to a report by Robert Murray of FanSided. Vogelbach, who is represented by ISE Baseball, has signed a minor league deal with an invitation to participate in big league Spring Training, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Vogelbach has spent the past year and a half playing for the New York Mets. He was acquired by the Mets from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade for reliever Colin Holderman during the 2022 season. Vogelbach had a strong finish to the 2022 campaign, batting .255/.393/.436 in 55 games. However, his performance declined during the following season.
In 319 plate appearances, Vogelbach had a batting average of .233, an on-base percentage of .339, and a slugging percentage of .404, hitting 13 home runs. He displayed good plate discipline, walking at a rate of 13.2%, but also struck out more than a quarter of the time. While his overall offensive production was slightly above average, it was not enough to make up for his limited role. Vogelbach did not play any defensive innings and has not started a game in the field since 2021. The Mets also limited his exposure to left-handed pitching, as he faced opposing left-handed pitchers only 16 times throughout the year.
Being a platoon designated hitter offers limited roster flexibility. This puts significant pressure on Vogelbach to perform well against right-handed pitching. He was able to do so two seasons ago, posting a batting line of .261/.382/.497 in pitcher-friendly home ballparks while playing for the Pirates and Mets. However, following his diminished performance last season, the Mets decided not to offer him an arbitration contract, which would have likely been in the range of $2-3 million.
Vogelbach will compete during Spring Training for a role similar to the one Brandon Belt played for the Blue Jays last year. The team used Belt as a left-handed hitting platoon designated hitter. Despite Belt’s strong season, it appears likely that he will sign with another team in free agency. The Blue Jays have brought in right-handed hitter Justin Turner to serve as their primary designated hitter, with occasional appearances in the corner infield positions. While Vogelbach is not expected to take playing time away from Turner, he could potentially earn a spot on the roster as a left-handed bench player who occasionally starts at designated hitter when Turner needs a rest or plays in the infield.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com