The Twins have announced that first base/DH Kennys Vargas was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. He did not have the choice of refusing the assignment.
Vargas was re-claimed recently from the Reds. The Cincinnati organization had snagged the power hitter off waivers and attempted to stash him on the farm and off the 40-man roster.
In the end, the result is as if Vargas had simply cleared waivers the first time around. He’ll head to Triple-A Rochester to open the season. The switch-hitter really does not have anything left to prove in the upper minors, but he’ll need to await a new MLB opportunity.
Over four seasons in the majors, Vargas carries a .252/.311/.437 slash with 35 long balls in 859 plate appearances. In his 764 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors, he’s a .248/.370/.444 hitter with thirty bombs and 123 walks against 181 strikeouts — quite a different plate discipline mix than the 29.2% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate Vargas has in the majors.
Welcome back!
great depth to have but not worth a 25 man spot RN
Ought to head over to Japan where he could smash 50+ bombs and kickstart his career again.
I think I remember reading a while back that there were teams in Asia interested in him, but either he didn’t want to or the Twins didn’t want him to. I forget which though.
I’m still not clear why the Reds wanted him in the first place. Votto is concreted in at 1B for at least 5 more years, there’s no DH, and their OF is set. Must have planned on using him as a RH bench bat.
Well I don’t think there has to be a spot on opening day. He can rake in the minors and wait for an injury and he’ll be right up with the big league team
Or he could have been trade bait for a team lower than the Reds on the waiver wire. It’s a no-cost way to make something out of nothing.