According To Reports, The Blue Jays Have Invited Daniel Vogelbach To Spring Training And Signed Him To A Minor League Contract.

Finally, a left-handed power hitter has been signed by the Blue Jays.

Robert Murray of Fansided claimed that the Jays and Daniel Vogelbach agreed to a minor league agreement with an invitation to Spring Training, so it’s simply not who everyone was expecting.

Recall that Vogelbach was a player with the Blue Jays in the past, seeing five plate appearances in the disastrous year of 2020. His highest wRC+ season occurred in 2022, when he hit.238/.360/.4333 in 461 plate appearances with 18 home runs and a 126 wRC+.

The 31-year-old designated hitter/first baseman had his best power season in 2019, slashing.208/.341/.439 in 558 plate appearances with a career-high 30 home runs, good for a 112 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR.

He was a player with the New York Mets the previous season, where he hit.233/.339/.404 in 319 plate appearances, good for a 109 wRC+ and 0.1 fWAR. He also had 13 home runs. Vogelbach doesn’t strike out a lot despite his prodigious power; in 2023, he posts a 25.4 K% and even a 13.2 BB%.

Vogelbach hit.220/.342/.410 in 1878 plate appearances from 2016 to 2023, with 80 home runs. With a 15.3 BB% and a 25.3 K%, he has a total of 110 wRC+ and 2.1 fWAR. According to Fangraphs’ steamer, he will be slashing in 2024.9 home runs in 215 plate appearances, a 235/.347/.4222 slash line, a 14.2 BB%, and a 24.6 K% for a 112 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR.

Vogelbach and Spencer Horwitz will compete to play first base or double as DH. It’s interesting that Vogelbach cut.He batted 246/.353/.427 against right-handed pitching in the previous season, and the New York Mets only employed him as a DH against such pitchers. Vogelbach might very well be on the Jays at some time in the upcoming season.

 

Whether the Jays have added a valuable bench bat capable of clutch hitting remains to be seen, but even if they don’t end up getting a strong player, this signing is sure to be entertaining.