The Blue Jays have released Daniel Vogelbach, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. They will remain on the hook for what’s left of his $2MM salary. Any other club could now sign him and would only have to pay the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Jays pay.
A release was the likely outcome after Vogelbach was designated for assignment last week. Any club claiming him off waivers or acquiring him in a trade would have had to take on the remainder of his salary. He has hit just .186/.278/.300 in his 79 plate appearances this year, making him fairly unappealing at that price point. As a player with more than five years of service time, he can reject an outright assignment to the minors while retaining that money, so he was effectively bound for the open market.
But now that he can be signed for cheap, teams will likely have interest. Vogelbach is a limited player as he’s one of the slowest in the league and has essentially no defensive value. He played five innings at first base in 2022 and none since. But his work at the plate is intriguing enough that he has continually found opportunities.
Since his 2016 debut with the Mariners, he has also suited up for the Blue Jays, Brewers, Pirates and Mets. Those clubs were surely attracted to the fact that Vogelbach has a keen eye at the plate, drawing walks at a 15.1% rate in his career. He also has notable power, with 81 home runs in 1,957 plate appearances. His career batting line currently sits at .219/.340/.405 for a wRC+ of 108.
When Vogelbach is reduced to a strong-side platoon guy, the numbers are even more impressive. He has a career line of .128/.246/.214 against southpaws but has hit .237/.358/.445 the rest of the time. That latter line leads to a 123 wRC+, indicating he’s been 23% above average when facing righties.
He hasn’t been in good form this year but another club could sign him and hope to catch lightning in a bottle at a low price. The Nationals have a 63 wRC+ out of their designated hitter spot this year, while clubs like the Rays, Reds, Rangers, Royals and Cardinals are in playoff contention with each having a wRC+ below 90 from their designated hitter slot.
This is a big loss.
I think we were all weighting to see if he would be released.
Nice one, @nukeg!
As in the setup to most episodes of the Biggest Loser.
Why’d they release Vogel bach-fat
Only in tonnage I suspect you mean
Atkins stays losing
The diet and the GM
Van – Vladdy just made the ULTIMATE slumpbuster sacrifice …. he shaved his head!!
Welcome to retirement.
why retire when there probably is a good beer softball league in his future.
I think there probably is a good beer & soft pretzel in his future
Vogelbach could learn a thing or two about conditioning and discipline if he decides to play in Japan or Korea – if they will take him.
In 2019, Vogey put up a 111 OPS+ and 30 homers with the same body.
In 2022, he put up a 126 OPS+ and 18 homers with the same body
Last season he put up a 106 OPS+ with 13 homers with the same body
He is what he is. An inconsistent yet generally productive lefty who takes walks and hits homers.
He was bad this year in a small sample. But very few Jays this year have been even respectable at the plate.
I expect him to get back to his usual form once he goes to a team with a more competent coaching staff.
And his weight will not factor into any future success, just as it hasn’t to this point in his career.
In 2019 a lot of mediocre players put up nice numbers because the ball had a little more bounce in it.
And OPS+ is a stat that compares a player to all fellow players during that same season. They were all getting juiced balls, and he was 11 percent better than an average hitter
OPS+ does not measure how big a liability he is/was on the base paths, hurting his team based on his inability to run. There is such a thing as hurting your team when you’re on the bases. Alejandro Kirk is a prime example.
Manoah, Kirk, Vogelbach all got a large part of their salaries paid in poutine. Oh Canada!
As a guy who’s been weight training for 40 years. .. Vogey has a great chest. Powerful. Barrel. Biceps and Tri’s are tremendous. Quads so powerful.
Couch potatoes call him fat coz some energy stored.
It’s an incredible athletic achievement to reach and make a career in mlb.
Why on earth did shapiro and carryon atkins signed this guy in the 1st place is beyond me…shakin’ my head
atkins analytics…..
Its only funny because they never used him, so what was the point? There were multiple times where Hot Dog didnt PH him in the 9th of a 1 run game for Biggio, Clement or IKF against a RHP.
Well in theory if you combine Vogelbach with Atkins it should have resulted in a more svelte result. Sadly the production declined rather than the lb’s.
Yeah why would you sign a guy similar to Brandon Belt who they had similar success with the season before. It just doesn’t add up.
(Now honestly why they didn’t bring Belt back is beyond me but Vogey was a productive hitter for the past three seasons so it’s not like it was odd move.)
That’s a Raptors slogan, but nice to know you can diversify your sports watching
I mean, it’s crazy when the Laffs have been the most successful Toronto team of the 3 these last few years…
Canada’s average elevation readings just went up 3 feet.
This is an intersectional baseball and geology joke. I approve.
He better start learning how to order take out in Korean
Dear Jerry Dipoto,
please just say “no”.
They musta got the sandwich bill…
LMAO!!!! This is a sick joke! Fantastic
He may be unemployed now, but at least he still has donut money.
Teenage level humor
this whole thread is teenage level humor.
Anytime there’s an article about an athlete on the larger side the comment section always turns into a series of fat jokes, even though undoubtedly these guys could probably beat us in almost any physical competition. I figure it’s a way to compensate.
What can I say? My sense of humor is about 20 years younger than I am, and Vogelbach is low-hanging fruit.
The delis and restaurants surrounding the rogers centre have already seen their profit margins dwindle.
Top comedy, incredible wit
Totally unrelated but the food at the Mets stadium is probably the best in baseball
Idk Craven… Petco has some bomb @$$ Mexican options! Top shelf Fish Tacos and Carne Asada Nachos batting leadoff and 2-hole…
No one liked my Vogelbach for CF idea in Baltimore
He may not be Willie Mays, but a chance in CF would be exciting
Back to the Buccos
Haven’t we suffered enough already?
Thoughts and prayers to his career….
Votto time
Yes please.
I forgot Votto was lurking on the Jays minor league IL….
Possibly the only player in MLB i could pinch run for… ok … no I couldn’t… but us full figure men have to stick together!!
Reds…uh, no.
Vogelbach is going to enjoy South Korea and the vibrant culture
Word on the street in Bridgeport Chicago is this xxxxx large player is heading to the whitesox. He should fit in well with their new campfire milkshake that is selling more than the actual tickets. Now back to drinking my Zima and listening to the cicadas by armour square park
Are we sure the Rays are in playoff contention? It’s my team, so I am not bashing…but at this point, it seems a miracle is necessary.
They’re 6 1/2 out of a wildcard spot right now. They have work to do but we aren’t even at the all star break yet. There is a lot of games left to be played.
I don’t think they make the playoffs this year, but they are still on the fringes of contention, for sure.
They’ve been a hard watch this year. Given up the most Homers and hit the least, never a good combo.
Word on the street in Bridgeport Chicago is this big hunk of a man is heading to play for the whitesox. This should go well as the campfire milkshakes are selling more than the actual tickets. Now back to drinking my Zima and listening to the cicadas by armour square park
Should have resigned Brandon Belt.
Should have kept Teoscar….
If Jed dumpster dives for baby huey I am going to throw a remote thru my television.
Astros say NOPE
Interesting picture. It’s like he learned of being released and is walking the streets of Toronto in his uniform, looking for a rumble
Plays sparingly (one of the toughest jobs in sports) On the bench he’s rarely sitting down as he stays in the game and motivates others. For his strikeout numbers – you have to watch the games not just look at stats. He has a great eye at the plate and has often been called out on strike 3’s that were balls. he watched go by.
If I could offer him critique – it happens to all of us that play ball – He hasn’t been swinging hard enough.
Good lucky Vogey!!!!!
I could motivate others from the bench for $2M….with a smile…
Good luck to him. Didn’t work out on the Jays but wonder if he’d make more sense trying NPB for a year or so to regain some value.
Unfortunate news for an Os fan. It was very comforting for us to know that a guy replaced by DJ Stewart (and completely on the merits) was rostered for a half season by TOR.
So my beer league softball team still has a chance at him…
Vogelbach has been a journeyman ever since the Cubs traded him for Mike Montgomery in 2016.
No doubt this will reduce the Jays’ donut costs.