Mariners trade Daniel Vogelbach to Blue Jays for cold, hard cash

The Mariners have officially parted ways with 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach. Vogey was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays this evening in exchange for cash considerations.

Vogelbach was designated for assignment on August 20, with a 39 wRC+ and a .094/.250/.226 line that carried through struggles from most of the second half of the 2019 season. Vogelbach’s struggles were a challenge for the staying power of his adjustments and the ability of Seattle’s coaching staff to help adjustments stick, and his regression from seeming bright spot to understandable bait-cutting is a disappointing end to the saga of Vogdor.

In Toronto, Vogelbach has far from a clear path to playing time. At first base, the Blue Jays have 21 year old top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has already had to shift off third to allay his defensive limitations. Moreover, as a full-time DH at present, the Jays have 6’4 behemoth Rowdy Tellez, whose numbers are underwhelming over the past few years, but have never dipped as low as Vogelbach’s recent struggles. Vogelbach is a veteran of sorts, with Tellez just 25 and Toronto currently working with a punchless bench of just three players, but the loss of bat speed and flexibility Vogelbach showed in 2020 didn’t immediately seem like the product of a mere change of scenery. Hopefully he can rediscover his early 2020 form in the AL East.