Pirates righty Ryan Vogelsong said today that he fully intends to pitch in 2017, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The 39-year-old is expected to take his final start for Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Vogelsong has had a bit of a trying year — most of all, he faced what he calls a “major test” to return after suffering facial fractures on a hit-by-pitch — but that won’t deter him from continuing on. Neither will his rough overall results. Vogelsong owns a 5.00 ERA over 77 1/3 innings, with 7.0 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9, while functioning as a swingman for the Bucs.
“I’m playing next year,” said Vogelsong. “I don’t know where. I don’t know how long it’s going to be. But my plan is to go to spring training with someone with the intent of playing 162-plus games in 2017.”
Vogelsong also made clear that he hopes to join an organization that is willing to commit to him as a starter. The veteran has spent plenty of time in the pen, especially earlier in his career, but had mostly worked from the rotation since his return to the majors in 2011. He has, though, made 21 relief appearances over the past two campaigns.
“I think in this stage of my career, it’s role-dependent,” Vogelsong explained. “I’ve never been a guy who’s been money driven. I love the game, I love the competition. I think I learned some things about myself this season, and it’s easier for me to get ready to perform at this level having the time and preparation between starts.”
Though he spent a three-year stretch playing in Japan, Vogelsong added that he’s not interested in another trans-Pacific experience. Whether or not any major league clubs will see enough value to promise a rotation job remains to be seen, but Vogelsong has been quite durable and could certainly be called upon to provide needed depth in a thin pitching market. If nothing else, he’ll probably be able to command an incentive-laden minor league pact with assurances that he’ll have a chance to compete for a starting job in camp.
Can’t really see anyone offering him a rotation spot but you never know. A rebuilding team might want a guy to eat innings
Come back to the Giants as a swingman.
Always will be known as a Giants/Pirates hired gun, for the sake of continuity I hope the Giants get him
I feel like either the Giants, or perhaps the Braves maybe who still need to bridge the gap with pitching during their rebuild. The Phillies might make a play for his services. That’d be a decent fit for him as well. I say he still finds a job as long as an NL club gives him an offer.
He’s been a good teammate and mentor for the younger pitchers, and he’s been a great story coming back from that horrific injury. Having said that, the Bucs were pretty foolish relying on Vogelsong as much as they did without having backup options, and while I wish him well I hope he doesn’t return to the Pirates next year. He just doesn’t have much left.
I would Iove to see him back at SF. Vogey is a class act and a dependable guy who always works hard. But I feel like SF already has Cain next year that is questionable. As much as I believe in Vogey I think there’s always going to be questions because he’s older and therefore adds risk. If SF could move him between AAA and ML then I think they would take a risk on him but the system doesn’t allow clubs to create veteran depth that way.
But man. I wish SF would get him back.
Not to worry… the Angels will tender him a huge contract… it will be a homecoming from Volgelsong…
No matter where he goes I don’t think he’s going to play in a 162 games. That would be a record for a pitcher. Yeah, I know what he meant.