5:48 pm: The Mets announced the deal.
5:37 pm: Pittsburgh receives a savior Colin Holdman On the other hand, Heymann reported (on Twitter).
5:36 pm: The Mets capture the designated hitter/first baseman Daniel Fogelbach from pirates Tweets John Heyman of the MLB Network. Jason McKee of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter linkI initially mentioned that the two sides were close to a deal that would send Vogelbach to Queens.
New York was looking for another addition to the lineup. Team leader Sandy Alderson told the New York Post last week They were seeking a promotion in the designated hitter. Vogelbach has appeared in various reports over the past few days as a target, despite Heyman Add That New York is still looking to add insult to injury over the next ten days.
Vogelbach did well during his three months in Steel City. Pittsburgh signed the powerful left hitter with a modest $1 million guarantee during spring training. This takes the form of an $800,000 salary, just under half of which remains payable, and at least $200,000 for the club’s $1.5 million option for next season.
The option price seems more than reasonable considering Vogelbach’s performance this season. The 29-year-old has made 278 appearances for the board in 75 games, posting .228/.338/.430 with 12 home runs. It’s not an impressive hit rate, but it does run at a whopping 14.4% and hits to produce powerful power. As measured by the wRC+ metric, Vogelbach’s output was 18 percentage points higher than the league average after accounting for Bucs’ suitable shooting range at home.
This type of production fits with the Vogelbach track. His 0.228 average this season is the highest of his career, but he’s walked over 15% of his career trips and usually posts above-average power numbers. His 30-man season in 2019 feels a little weird, but Vogelbach is his .234/.358/.459 hitter against the right pitch. It did nothing against southpaws (career .137/.258/.230 lines), but it would add a left-handed platoon option to the Director Buck Showalter mix.
More is coming.
