The Dodgers are promoting top prospect Miguel Vargas, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com (Twitter link). J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group first reported that Vargas was reporting to the team.
Vargas was a consensus top-100 prospect heading into the season, and his status was bumped up to 28th (Baseball America) and 68th (MLB Pipeline) in midseason updates of those prospect rankings. The rather wide variance could relate to questions about Vargas’ defensive future, as his glovework has received only a 45 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. Vargas has mostly played third base in his career and also seen some time at second, but many evaluators think he could be a first baseman in the future.
That will put more pressure on Vargas to hit if he might be ticketed for a first base or even DH spot, yet there isn’t much question about Vargas’ bat. With strong contact, the ability to hit to all fields, and increasing power numbers, Vargas is looking like a force at the plate, and he has hit .291/.382/.497 with 15 home runs over 437 plate appearances at Triple-A this season.
The Dodgers made Vargas an international signing in 2017, two years following his defection from Cuba. The 22-year-old will now become the latest in a long line of intriguing homegrown prospects for Los Angeles, and he could get some extra opportunity as a right-handed hitter on a roster of mostly left-handed bats. Vargas could see action around the infield, particularly with the banged-up Justin Turner relegated to DH duty after missing several games with an abdominal injury.
With Chris Taylor expected back from the injured list within the week, Vargas’ big league call-up might not amount to move than a cup of coffee, though the Dodgers have been willing to give more playing time to youngsters in big situations if their play warrants such extra usage. In the bigger picture, Turner and Max Muncy could both be free agents after the season, so a good showing from Vargas could impact the Dodgers’ plan for retaining either of those two veterans (both of whom are having underwhelming 2022 seasons).
There. Take that, Juan Soto!
Ha! and a lot cheaper too
Wrong Miguel Vargas link
Was just gonna say that.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=vargas005mig
Lets see this kid!!
The Dodgers are just buying players. I hate them. They are 100% store bought.
Isn’t he home-grown?
Yes but they probably outbid someone to drat him. I hate them…….
They didn’t.
So how do you acquire players in a professional league without money?
This joke flew over so many heads…
Sad thing is you are the only one that picked up on it.
Yeah they’re just mostly store bought lol
So you’re telling me that you’ve never bought a pack of Oreo cookies at the store?
How do you outbid someone in a draft?
Well, technically he wasn’t “drafted”. He was signed as an international free agent.
I see, thank you good sir
If you call spending $300,000 on an international prospect buying a player then I guess the Dodgers are guilty. Miguel wasn’t a no name either. His dad was a superstar player on the Cuban National team so any team could have signed him.
Why are some people so stupid? Here you go! I’ve included the prospects that likely would have been traded for Soto, plus some we might see in September this year
“Store Bought” (Free Agents):
Freeman
Treinen
Kimbrel (via Pollock trade, a FA signing)
Anderson
Heaney
Hudson
J Turner (though really developed by Dodgers)
Muncy (same as above)
Alberto
Almonte
Moronta
Kahnle
Bauer
Draft/International:
Kershaw
Buehler
Urias
May
Gonsolin
Gonzalez
Miller
Pepiot
Jackson
Knack
Bellinger
Smith
Lux
Rios
Ferguson
Outman
Busch
Cartaya
Pages
Acquired via trade of players Dodgers drafted/signed internationally:
Betts
T Turner
Taylor
Barnes
Thompson
Graterol
Vesia
Bickford
Phillips
Price
Nelson
Store bought huh?
Sorry, forgot to add Gallo and Martin to the last list.
Well said, BleedingBlue. The home grown Dodger list is impressive. I’d add a small note about Heaney – He came up in the Dodgers farm system and was traded while still in Triple-A for Howie Kendrick. Now he’s back. I wish him the best. Also, Chris Taylor, like JT and Muncy, have come into their own in a Dodger uniform.
Go Blue!
I appreciate that Dodger Dogg, thank you.
I didn’t add the note to Taylor about the Dodgers developing him because I only added it to Turner and Muncy to point out even though they were FA signings, they weren’t wanted by any other teams really.
As for Heaney, he actually wasn’t from the Dodgers farm system. He was part of the return for the Dee Gordon trade with Miami (which also included Barnes and Kiké Hernandez, among others) from Miami’s farm system — but the Dodgers turned around and dealt him to the Angels for Kendrick, I think the same day or next day.
@coyoterazor why don’t you cry about it?! Lmao
Linked to the wrong guy.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=vargas005mig
Imagine Joey Gallo, Max Muncy and Bellinger in the lineup at the same time. It’s like a pitcher’s dream come true. Never saw a young player go from MVP to Non-tender candidate so quickly. Only tells you how thin the line is in the majors.
Yeah but the rest of the lineup is a pitchers nightmare.
You’re still talking about 1 of the top 2 teams in baseball
I don’t think Gallo will play unless injury
CF Betts, SS Turner, 1B Freeman, C Smith, 2B Lux, 3B Turner, DH Muncy/Vargas/Gallo, CF Bellinger, LF Taylor/Outman/Vargas
Doubt that. Gallo will play against right handed pitchers first. You don’t get a toy and keep it on the shelf. The Dodgers will test him out to see if he can make the playoff roster. Hope they can catch lightning in a bottle with a Gallo/Muncy surge. Both guys know the strike zone well and can do some damage if they can command the strike zone.
I love this take
Go Dodgers!
True, Gallo was able to identify 3 strikes in 213 AB’s last season
but not sure that qualifies as command of the strike zone
Dodgers will put Gallo in the best position to succeed.
He’s definitely only playing against righties, his ops in .699 against them this year.
I hope Gallo takes Muncy’s spot then or better yet keep Outman playing. The few games I’ve seen he his a nice swing and speed out of the box.
If Dave Roberts continues to play Muncy and then adds Gallo he needs to be fired. If it’s Andrew Friedman forcing his hand he needs to convince the nerds to play the hot hand. That’s what a managers job is.
We can afford to sit the cold bats and platoon Muncy, Bellinger and Gallo.
I’d rather see Mookie at 2nd, Lux in center Outman in RF, Vargas in LF against lefties. Let the defense suffer, play the hot bats, especially went well make the playoffs.
When we make the playoffs
@Mike Piazza Pie- That nerd built the best and deepest team in baseball.
After Smith, that lineup doesn’t scare anybody.
5-7
Lux, Justin Turner, Chris Taylor
I’d be comfortable with that in October
The last 2 spots can go to the best two out of Muncy, Bellinger, Gallo, Outman, Vargas, Alberto, Thompson and Rios. The nerds have until October to get the lineups right but they’ve done pretty well so far.
Bellinger should play everyday because his defense. He’s also clutch.
Let’s not get carried away by Outman on a very small sample size. Love the output so far but way too early. Don’t forget that Muncy is also coming off of an 0.895 OPS season and is a career 0.851 OPS hitter as a Dodger. Yeah, he’s not going to come close to getting to those numbers this season but the hope is that he can get a surge here and be that type of hitter the remainder of the season. Same for Gallo, as bad as he was for the Yankees, he hit 0.869 OPS as a Ranger last year and 0.986 in 2019. That’s not that far removed. This is the time to figure out who’s going to play in the playoffs. You’re much better off getting Muncy or Gallo squared back together. If they don’t there are other options.
JT to the IL?
Good question, they should Imo to keep Outman up. We are going to need quite a few pseudo DL trips here in the next 2~4 weeks (especially o the arm side)
No move necessary today b/c Gallo won’t be in attendance
oh that’s right. I forgot about Lamb’s vacant spot.
Once Gallo and Taylor come both Outman and Vargas will be down till Sept tho –
Id slow play Taylor tho and think about that Turner Dl trip to give both these kids a long look – We don’t need those guys to take the hot muggy MIA/MIL week long road trip coming up
Got 6 hrs in a plane only in Sept for the Dodgers and 1 east coast road trip end of August – They can Stay fresh easily with this lead and a little IL manipulation
Looks like Friedman has decided to play a few of his stellar prospects, as opposed to trading them all away for a few elite proven talents. Risky move, but if he’s right with Outman, Vargas, Miller, etc., it’s a big win that allows Friedman to pay for Trea Turner. Urias, Bueler, .and others facing free agency in the next few years.
Well summarized; A strange day for sure that not many would have guessed but ultimately a good one for the organization long term Imo-
I actually went to bed last night thinking could Aug 2nd 2022 be the day that saw this organization take a turn for the worse by being too ultra aggressive. I’ll sleep easier tonight!
Edwin Rios is coming back soon as well. Not sure if they need Hanser Alberto at this point.
Alberto is Kike’ II. LHP masher and can play Middle infield, Edwin’s a different Beast with sweet as syrup power swing, IF glove limited to 3B/1B
Don’t forget about 100mph Dustin May
He’s coming!
According to Baseball Reference he doesn’t exist…..