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Stephen Vogt

Stephen Vogt Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery

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The Braves announced that veteran catcher Stephen Vogt recently underwent a sports hernia surgery (relayed by David O’Brien of the Athletic). He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2022.

News of the injury adds a little more clarity to Atlanta’s decision to designate Vogt for assignment last week. The 36-year-old cleared outright waivers and technically remains in the organization, although he is slated to hit free agency this offseason anyways. There was little reason at that point for the Braves’ front office not to bump him from the roster once the need for a 40-man spot arose.

Vogt will hit the open market coming off a disappointing campaign. While he’s generally been a decent offensive catcher — offering some power from the lefty batters box — Vogt didn’t have a productive 2021. Between the D-Backs and Braves, he tallied 238 plate appearances of .195/.283/.333 hitting. His .212/.307/.386 line with Arizona was playable, but Vogt slumped to a .167/.241/.244 mark in 87 plate appearances with the Braves.

It’s possible Vogt will be limited to minor league offers with Spring Training invitations given this year’s struggles, although teams won’t have a whole lot in the way of free agent catching options to choose from. Yan Gomes is set to top the class, with Tucker Barnhart and Roberto Pérez potentially coming available if their respective clubs (Reds and Indians) decline 2022 club options.

Braves Designate Stephen Vogt For Assignment

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The Braves have designated catcher Stephen Vogt for assignment, per Atlanta’s transaction log at MLB.com. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Terrance Gore, allowing the speedy outfielder to join the Braves’ NLDS team off the bench.

Atlanta acquired the former All-Star catcher from the Diamondbacks in the middle of the season to shore up their catching depth. While the veteran wasn’t able to match his modest 87 OPS+ production from Arizona, posting only a slash line of .167/.241/.244 (good for a 28 OPS+) with the Braves, his impact was felt elsewhere on the roster. After all, the Braves traded from their catching trove when they shipped young catcher Alex Jackson to the Marlins for Adam Duvall, a move that may have been harder to make without a veteran like Vogt on the roster. Duvall in turn slugged 16 home runs down the stretch for Atlanta en route to their division title.

Now, the 36-year-old Vogt is all but certain to clear waivers and enter free agency. While his offense has waned the past two seasons, netting a 59 OPS+, Vogt’s defense still checks in at about average. With teams always on the lookout for veteran catching depth, it’s possible Vogt will latch on somewhere this offseason via a minor league deal.

Gore meanwhile is selected from Triple-A to take on a role in which he is all too familiar. Despite never eclipsing 58 plate appearances in a single Major League season, Gore has often been picked up by contenders looking to add some speed and defensive prowess to their pool of outfielders. While Gore did post a solid .361 OBP in Triple-A this year, continuing a trend of strong walk rates and next to no power, it’s unlikely he will see much opportunity for the Braves beyond as a pinch runner and late-game defensive sub.

Braves Acquire Stephen Vogt From Diamondbacks

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The Braves and Diamondbacks agreed to a one-for-one player swap late last night. The Diamondbacks sent veteran catcher Stephen Vogt to the Braves in exchange for first baseman Mason Berne, per the Diamondbacks.

The Braves are in veteran acquisition mode after picking up Joc Pederson from the Cubs, and now Vogt from the Diamondbacks. The Braves have been in full-on carousel mode behind the dish ever since starter Travis d’Arnaud went down with a torn ligament in his hand in early May.

In terms of their catcher-of-the-future types, Alex Jackson also landed on the injured list at the same time as d’Arnaud with a strained hamstring, and William Contreras hit just .204/.278/.387 across 158 plate appearances before being sent back to Triple-A.

Vogt will join veterans Jonathan Lucroy and Kevan Smith on the Braves’ active roster. Jeff Mathis also saw a few games of action earlier this season, but he failed to register a hit in three games. Lucroy is also a new addition, having played just two games in Atlanta this year. Smith, meanwhile, may not be long for the roster after slashing .197/.274/.227 in 69 plate appearances. Bringing in both Lucroy and Vogt over the last couple of days suggests the Braves don’t see much long-term utility in Smith as they try to remain in the hunt for the National League East crown.

As for Vogt himself, he does bring the added value of being able to play elsewhere in the field, which would enable the Braves to hold three catchers on the roster if they so chose. The 36-year-old veteran has hit .212/.307/.386 this across 151 plate appearances this season, starting 35 games for the Snakes.

The Braves are nowhere near the luxury tax, so that’s not a concern for them, though Vogt is playing on a one-year, $3.5MM contract, so he’s affordable regardless. He will be a free agent at the end of the year.

In exchange for a couple months of Vogt, the Diamondbacks are getting a 25-year-old infield prospect in Berne. The 33rd round draft pick signed for $10K out of UNC in 2018, and because of the pandemic, Berne doesn’t have much professional experience to speak of. He has appeared in just five games in rookie ball for the Braves this year, and considering his age, the first baseman is little more than a flyer for the Diamondbacks.

NL West Notes: Casali, Vogt, D’Backs, Tatis

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Curt Casali’s offseason negotiations with the Giants were interrupted by a surgery, as Casali underwent a hamate bone procedure on his left hand in December.  The catcher told MLB.com’s Maria Guardado and other reporters that he suffered the injury while playing for the Reds in the postseason and initially planned to just rehab the issue before opting for surgery.  There was already a verbal agreement in place between Casali and the Giants prior to his surgery, and once the Giants were satisfied about Casali’s health, the two sides officially finalized a one-year, $1.5MM deal in early January.

In a nod to Casali’s recovery, he said the contract contains a $500K bonus if he makes the Opening Day roster.  He fully expects to be ready, as he has been playing catch and taking swings already in camp, though Casali has yet to get behind the plate for a bullpen session.  The seven-year MLB veteran is slated to work as Buster Posey’s chief backup this season, and San Francisco also has Chadwick Tromp and top prospect Joey Bart waiting in the minors as further catching depth.

More from the NL West…

  • Stephen Vogt tested positive for COVID-19 and has yet to arrive at Diamondbacks camp, manager Torey Lovullo told The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (Twitter link) and other reporters.  It isn’t known if Vogt might be available or if he is suffering any symptoms, though Lovullo did bring some lightness to the situation by mentioning that Vogt was practicing his putting stroke in his kitchen while having a FaceTime conversation with Lovullo.  Vogt made 20 starts at catcher and 26 appearances overall in 2020, which was enough (in prorated fashion) for his $3MM vesting option for 2021 to become guaranteed, and unlock a further $500K in salary.  Carson Kelly will serve as Arizona’s starting catcher with Vogt slated for backup duty, and star prospect Daulton Varsho and veteran Bryan Holaday are also in camp as possible options if Vogt has miss any time.
  • The Diamondbacks have continued pay cuts for employees throughout the organization, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports.  The cuts have impacted both the baseball operations and business departments, and while the D’Backs are reportedly waiting on their 2021 revenue situation before restoring full salaries, they “are believed to be one of the only teams in baseball still implementing pay cuts to employees.”  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that most of the salary cuts are in the range of 10 percent or less, after the organization cut remaining salaries by an average of 15 percent last year after furloughing or laying off over a quarter of its staff.  The cuts operate on a sliding scale, so higher-paid employees like team president/CEO Derrick Hall and general manager Mike Hazen are thought to have taken the largest salary reductions.
  • Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year, $340MM extension with the Padres represents not just a huge payday for the star shortstop, but also for Big League Advance firm, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  Tatis is the most prominent of the 344 players who have signed with BLA since the company was founded by former Phillies right-hander Michael Schwimer in 2016, with BLA offering these players a $50K advance — up to a $500K maximum — in exchange for one percent of any future earnings derived from baseball contracts (not non-baseball income like endorsement deals).  It isn’t known how many advances Tatis received, but even a single $50K advance would result in a $3.4MM return on investment for Schwimer’s firm, and BLA would earn $34MM if Tatis took the full $500K advance.  While striking big on a future star like Tatis is obviously good news for Big League Advance, Schwimer is pleased at how his company has helped many players through the low-paying struggle faced by many minor leaguers, including Schwimer himself during his six pro seasons.  “Fernando’s deal is what everyone wants to talk about, but nobody wants to think of the literal dozens of players that we’ve invested in that are no longer in baseball,” Schwimer said.  “Players that without us, who knows what situation they’d be in….And now with us, in some cases, they have hundreds of thousands of dollars. They can go back to school, start their second chapter.”

MLB, MLBPA Still Discussing Vesting Options, Retention Bonuses

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The length of the season, prorated salaries and protocols for health and safety are finally all set in place, but Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are still negotiating the manner in which contractual options, performance incentives/bonuses and escalator clauses will be handled, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required).

Fortunately, an agreement is believed to be “within reach,” per Rosenthal. The league had initially sought to prorate the value of 2021 options using the same formula as 2020 salaries, although the MLBPA obviously pushed back against that notion. There’s still some debate over the handling of vesting options — particularly those that are triggered by reaching a set number of games pitched or plate appearances over the life of multiple seasons. The two sides also must determine how those options would be treated in the event that the season is canceled at any point due to health concerns.

There aren’t too many vesting options in MLB this year, although some of the notable ones include:

  • Jon Lester, LHP, Cubs: Lester’s $25MM mutual option ($10MM buyout) for the 2021 season would become guaranteed with 200 innings pitched in a normal season.
  • J.A. Happ, LHP, Yankees: Happ’s $17MM club option for the 2021 season would’ve become guaranteed upon making 27 starts or totaling 165 innings in 2020.
  • Andrew Miller, LHP, Cardinals: Miller’s $12MM club option for 2021 would have been guaranteed if he totaled 110 games between 2019-20. As Rosenthal explores, there are various ways to interpret how many more games he’d need to pitch to trigger that option — some more beneficial to Miller and others to the Cardinals.
  • Charlie Morton, RHP, Rays: Morton’s option is another that comes with a multi-year criteria. His contract calls for a $15MM club option in 2021 if he spends fewer than 30 days on the injured list between 2019-20. The option value decreases if he spends additional time on the injured list. Morton avoided the IL entirely last year. Unlike Miller, who surely hopes the number of appearances he needs to make in 2020 can be prorated, it’d be beneficial to Morton for that number (30) to remain as is. That seems unlikely, but the disparity between the clauses of Miller and Morton illustrates that this isn’t exactly straightforward for the player side. The value of his option
  • Kelvin Herrera, RHP, White Sox: Herrera, too, needed 110 games between 2019-20 for his $10MM club option to become guaranteed. He pitched in 57 games last year, leaving him 53 shy of his target.
  • Wade Davis, RHP, Rockies: Davis’ $15MM mutual option would’ve converted to a $15MM player option in the event that he finished 30 games. He’d only need to finish out 11-12 games in the shortened 2020 season if the two sides go with a strictly prorated interpretation of the qualifiers.
  • Bryan Shaw, RHP, Rockies: Shaw has the same 110-game target for 2019-20 that Miller and Herrera have. He pitched 70 times in 2019 and needed just 40 appearances in 2020 to lock in a $9MM salary for the 2021 campaign.
  • Jake McGee, LHP, Rockies: With 60 games pitched or 40 games finished in 2020, McGee would’ve locked in a $9MM salary for the 2021 season. His contract also allowed the option to vest with a with 110 games between 2019-20, but he only pitched in 45 contests last year.
  • Stephen Vogt, C, Diamondbacks: Vogt’s contract included a $3MM club option that not only vests but increases to a $3.5MM base upon starting 45 games and appearing n a total of 75 games overall.
  • Dee Gordon, 2B/SS/OF, Mariners: Gordon would’ve been guaranteed a $14MM salary for the 2021 season with 600 plate appearances this year. That, of course, was extremely unlikely in the first place, though.

Beyond those options, there are myriad escalator clauses throughout baseball that could be impacted by the shortened schedule. It’s fairly common for club options and/or future salaries to be boosted by steady performance — particularly among players returning from injury. Take Dellin Betances, for instance. His contract with the Mets calls for the value of next year’s $6MM player option to increase by $800K upon pitching in 40 games. He’d receive additional $1MM boosts to that figure for appearing in 50, 60 and 70 games apiece.

The league and the union are also still discussing potential retention bonuses for six-year veterans on non-guaranteed deals. In a typical year, any player with six-plus years of service who finished the preceding season on a 40-man roster qualifies as an Article XX(B) free agent. Such players must either be added to the 40-man roster, released five days prior to Opening Day or paid a $100K retention bonus to remain with the club in the minor leagues. Many players in that situation are released and quickly re-signed to a new minor league deal, but that won’t be possible in 2020 due to the fact that players who are removed from a team’s 60-man pool become ineligible to return to that team this season.

Stephen Vogt Discusses Future Managerial Aspirations

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Two-time All-Star Stephen Vogt signed a one-year deal with a 2021 club/vesting option with the Diamondbacks this winter, so he’s clearly not thinking about retiring in the near future. However, the 35-year-old has given some thought to his next steps when he eventually does walk away from the game. In an interview Brodie Brazil of NBC Sports California, Vogt stated that he has “always wanted to manage,” citing the positive influence of skippers Bob Melvin, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon and Craig Counsell as a driving factor in that desire. Vogt believes that the peaks and valleys of his own playing career would allow him to relate to virtually any player he encounters within a dugout.

It was less than two years ago that Vogt found his career in jeopardy following a shoulder injury that required surgical repair. Then with the Brewers, Vogt sustained damage to the rotator cuff, labrum and anterior capsule in the same right shoulder on which he’d already had one major surgery performed. “The biggest emotion is sadness,” Vogt told reporters at the time. “…Obviously, there are big implications here with a second shoulder injury like this that I don’t like to think about but I am thinking about. I felt everything go wrong that could go wrong with a shoulder.”

Thankfully for Vogt, he was able to make a full recovery and return to the Majors a bit less than a year later with the Giants. And not only did Vogt parlay his minor league deal with San Francisco into a big league return — he enjoyed a rather productive year with the rebuilding Giants. In 280 plate appearances over the life of 99 games, Vogt hit .263/.314/.490 with 10 home runs, 24 doubles and a pair of triples while avoiding the injured list. That solid season lends some additional optimism about Vogt’s ability to play a few more years.

Whenever he does retire as a player, Vogt would join a long line of former catchers seeking a managerial career. The list of backstops-turned-managers is too long to run through in its entirety, though some recent examples include Melvin, Maddon, Bochy, Joe Girardi, Mike Matheny, Brad Ausmus, Mike Scioscia, David Ross and Ned Yost.

Diamondbacks Notes: Leake, Vogt, Giants, Bradley

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An MRI revealed a small fracture in Mike Leake’s left wrist, though the veteran right-hander told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that he is still hoping to be part of the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster.  Since his pitching arm wasn’t affected, Leake said he will play catch (without return throws) over the next two weeks to keep his right arm loose while his left wrist heals.  In keeping with the annual Spring Training tradition of players suffering injuries under unusual circumstances, Leake said he injured his wrist while chasing after one of his dogs, as Leake slipped and fell on his basketball court while in pursuit of the disobedient pet.

After being acquired from the Mariners in a trade deadline deal last July, Leake posted a 4.35 ERA and 3.38 K/BB rate over 60 innings (10 starts) for Arizona, though with a 4.1 K/9 and a whopping 2.3 HR/9.  Leake is tentatively penciled into the fifth starter role for the D’Backs this season, as the club hopes that he can provide his usual durability at the back of the rotation — the 32-year-old has averaged 188 innings pitched over the last nine seasons.

Some more from the desert….

  • Stephen Vogt talked to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) about Vogt’s decision to sign with the Diamondbacks, with the catcher citing both logistical and contractual reasons.  Vogt liked being able to spend eight months in Arizona for both Spring Training and the season itself, and the D’Backs separated themselves from the Giants in contract talks by offering Vogt a vesting option for the 2021 season.  The Giants offered Vogt more in guaranteed money than the $3MM Vogt will receive from the D’Backs, though if his option vests and Vogt hits his contract incentives, he can earn up to $7MM over the two-year span.
  • Archie Bradley’s arbitration hearing has been set for February 18, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports.  Bradley is seeking a $4.1MM salary for the 2020 season, while the D’Backs filed for a $3.625MM number.  The 2019 season saw Bradley increasingly deployed as a closer, as he recorded 18 saves after having only four saves on his career ledger heading into the year.  Players haven’t had much luck going to hearings this year, as arbiters have ruled in favor of teams in five of the six arbitration hearings that have already taken place this month; the Dodgers’ Pedro Baez is the only player who has won his arb hearing.  You can follow along with all the results in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.

Trade/FA Chatter: Padres, Myers, Angels, Rox, Zobrist, Marlins

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As expected, the Padres are hoping to trade pricey and underperforming outfielder/first baseman Wil Myers, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports. The Padres appear highly motivated to part with Myers, according to Stark, who adds that there’s even a willingness on the team’s part to attach prospects from its loaded farm system if it would encourage someone to take the veteran off its hands. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported back in September that the Padres would “likely” be willing to eat half of the $60MM left on Myers’ contract to get rid of him. At this point, it’s unknown whether the amount’s still in that ballpark. Myers, who turns 30 on Tuesday, has another three years left on his deal.

  • The Angels’ pursuit of Gerrit Cole is garnering most of the Halos-related headlines at the moment, but he’s not the only upgrade they’re targeting. After struggling to find much production behind the plate in 2019, the club’s “heavily involved in the catcher market,” Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times writes. The Angels are focused on six to eight backstop options, per Torres, and general manager Billy Eppler revealed they’ve had “active” discussions with two teams about trading for a catcher.
  • Speaking of catchers, the Rockies had interest in Stephen Vogt before he signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the NL West rival Diamondbacks last month, Nick Groke of The Athletic relays. “It didn’t go our way,” admitted general manager Jeff Bridich, who added the Rockies remain focused on finding aid at the position.
  • Longtime utilityman Ben Zobrist is “50-50” on whether to continue his career in 2020, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The 38-year-old free agent, who sat out a large portion of 2019 as a member of the Cubs while dealing with a divorce, is currently prioritizing his family.
  • The Marlins are looking to upgrade a bullpen that was “not good” in 2019, according to president of baseball operations Michael Hill (via Wells Dusenbury of the Sun Sentinel). Veteran right-hander Sergio Romo was one of the Marlins’ most effective options, but they dealt the then-pending free agent to the Twins in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. Hill acknowledged Monday that there’s now interest on the team’s part in reuniting with Romo, 36. “We’re exploring the entire market of eligible guys and I know he’s been connected to us as well he should be,” said Hill. “I think if you asked him — he was very public in saying that [he] enjoyed his time with us so we’ll see where things go, but [he] was a player who did well for us and did a good job in his time with us.”

NL Notes: Diamondbacks, Vogt, Padres, Mets

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The Diamondbacks’ behind-the-plate combination of Carson Kelly and Alex Avila’s was one of the National League’s best in 2019, from an offensive standpoint. The two combined for 27 homers last year, with Kelly’s 108 wRC+ falling fourth among NL backstops. The club doubled down on an offense-first approach at catcher when it signed Stephen Vogt to a one-year, $3MM deal with a 2021 vesting option earlier this week, posits Zach Buchanan of The Athletic.

In acquiring Vogt, Buchanan argues that executive Mike Hazen essentially secured Avila-plus; both players are left-handed, veteran sluggers, but Vogt performed at a higher level in 2019 and swings at a higher launch angle than the 32-year-old Avila (a feature which figures to play well at Arizona’s Chase Field). With catcher defense front-and-center for many front offices, going bat-first at backstop certainly represents an against-the-grain strategy for Arizona’s front office.

More items from around the NL…

  • It’s been an offseason of change in San Diego, with new manager Jayce Tingler taking the reins after a four-year stretch of losing seasons under Andy Green. We’ve also seen former Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild take over for longtime Padres fixture Darren Balsley, and a few of Manny Machado’s old friends from Baltimore have been brought in to provide additional coaching help. Rothschild has now settled on Ben Fritz as the club’s new bullpen coach, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, although a new hitting coach has yet to be identified. Damian Easley, who has already been working with the club’s infielders, remains a possibility for that role. Acee also relays that Rod Barajas, who served as the club’s interim manager after Green’s mid-season exit, will be redirected to another role in the organization after being passed over for the role of skipper.
  • Tim Britton of The Athletic tracks payroll trends surrounding the Mets over the last decade, with his analysis resting largely on info culled from Baseball Prospectus’ Cot’s On Contracts. Though perhaps unsurprising to most faithful followers of the team, Britton notes that New York has enacted the lowest percentage increase in total payroll among all teams in this decade. While total MLB revenue has risen nearly 50 percent in the last ten years, the Mets have not kept pace with other big-market spenders (New York was third in payroll over the course of the aughts, but spent the majority of this decade outside the top ten in payroll spending). Still, it’s important to emphasize that the Mets’ payroll is trending up of late, with GM Brodie Van Wagenen denying to speak unequivocally about a potential approach to the $208MM CBT line.

Diamondbacks Sign Stephen Vogt

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Nov. 29: Vogt will be paid $2.5MM in 2020 and has a $500K buyout of a $3MM option for the 2021 campaign, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. That option can trigger automatically depending on playing time, and the contract contains escalators (based on games started) that would boost Vogt’s salary in 2021.

Nov. 26: The Diamondbacks made a low-cost strike on the free-agent market, adding catcher Stephen Vogt on a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday evening. The deal will reportedly promise Vogt a total of $3MM, and it also contains a vesting option for the 2021 season. Vogt is represented by All Bases Covered Sports Management.

Stephen Vogt | Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Vogt, 35, feared his career could be over following a 2018 shoulder surgery with the Brewers, but he landed with the Giants on a minor league pact and proved himself with a quietly strong rebound season. In 280 plate appearances spread over the life of 99 games, the former All-Star hit .263/.314/.490 with 10 home runs.

Arizona’s need for a backstop isn’t necessarily acute, but Vogt’s left-handed bat will pair nicely with the up-and-coming Carson Kelly, who hits from the opposite side of the dish — and does so quite well (.356/.462/.667 versus lefties in 2019). Vogt will also give the 25-year-old Kelly another veteran mentor under whom to study, replacing fellow free agent Alex Avila, who remains unsigned but now appears destined to land elsewhere.

The D-backs also have veteran catcher Caleb Joseph on the 40-man roster as a third option, and given the fact that they’ve previously carried three catchers at a time even with a 25-man roster, it seems plausible that they’ll do so again now that rosters are set to expand to 26 players for the 2020 season. Alternatively, Vogt’s acquisition could also spell the end of Joseph’s time with the Arizona organization. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter and projected to receive a $1.2MM salary, which the club may feel too steep to pay a third catcher who falls behind both Kelly and Vogt on the depth chart.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link) and Zach Buchanan of The Athletic (Twitter links) added details on the financial structure.

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