Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines announced that they have agreed to a one-year deal with first baseman Kennys Vargas (h/t YakyuDB.com). The burly switch-hitter is said to be earning approximately $1.5MM in the pact. Vargas is a client of Rep 1 Baseball.
Still just 28 years of age, Vargas failed to crack the big leagues in 2018 after seeing at least some action in each of the prior four campaigns. He bounced around the waiver wire at the outset of the season but spent most of the year off of the 40-man roster, playing at Triple-A Rochester. The Twins organization which had employed him since 2009, recently released Vargas, who’d have qualified for minor-league free agency unless he was added back to the MLB roster.
Vargas did not turn in his most useful campaign in the upper minors in 2018. In the past, though, he has at times put up intriguing numbers. At his best, Vargas blends an excellent eye at the plate with good power, though his raw strength has never really shone through with eye-popping slugging numbers. In 859 MLB plate appearances, he owns a .252/.311/.437 slash with 35 long balls.
he’ll probably hit 50 HR there
30-40 is more likely.
41
Probably so. He’s got the power for sure. Just one of those guys that can’t figure things out.
And 250 strikeouts. What a great trade off.
I expected a decision like this. It’s clear he wasn’t going to get a shot at the MLB roster anywhere, and quite frankly, his 2018 campaign did nothing to show he deserved another opportunity.
Vargas has definite conditioning issues and I guess he showed up to Spring Training last year in better shape, but it’s going to continue to be a problem he needs to show he’s fixed.
At only 28, he may be able to rebuild his stock in a year or two overseas and catch on somewhere, but he’s going to have to go the opposite direction of Oswaldo Arcia.
If not, he will still get a nice paycheck to play Baseball!
But but… He’s worth +1.4 WAR (bbref) in 859 career PA.
Or +0.8 WAR (Fangraphs) Someone give him a chance.
The problem with that is that it only works out to a little over half a win per season and that comes with no versatility, baserunning, or defense, which leads to a pretty meh slugger.
Don’t confuse the poor guy with reasonable logic.
Remember when the media was hyping him as the next David Ortiz
Media has a thing thinking every immobile, defensively useless power hitter coming through the Twins system is the next David Ortiz.
Yeah but Big Sloppi got a PED boost, this guy just Twinkies…
I feel the Twins never gave him a chance.
Yeah, they SAY they gave him several chances, but those amounted pretty much to sporadic opportunities and no chance at real consistency. Plus, he was all hyped to play in Puerto Rico, and they go and sign Logan Morison instead. Kennys then sucked it up big time in AAA after his demotion (and, I suspect, demoralization).
Playing overseas is probably his best chance to put up some numbers and work his way back to MLB. Good luck to him. I hope he succeeds.
He never really did much to earn any more looks than he got. He looks the part but even his AAA numbers aren’t what they seem like they should be.
As far as being “demoralized” by a demotion… if he wants to make it in the majors he’s going to have to handle and adapt to more adversity than that.
This move is perfect for him, should’ve done it long ago because it was obvious he wasn’t going to get a big shot at an MLB roster spot.