The Blue Jays are recruiting former Mets.
Toronto has agreed to a minor league contract with former Mets designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. Confirmed by Jon Heyman of the Post..
The deal, signed a day after agreeing to terms with former Met guard Eduardo Escobar, includes an invitation to Major League Baseball spring training.
Vogelbach was originally acquired by the Mets from the Pirates before the 2022 trade deadline and was non-tendered in November.
In his first 55 games with the Mets, Vogelbach quickly became a fan favorite, finishing with six home runs and an .830 OPS as the Amazons made the playoffs for the first time in six years.
A selective hitter, he had 33 walks and an on-base percentage of .393.
However, in early 2023, the situation did not progress in the same way. Vogelbach hit .175 in May, .200 in June, and his OPS dropped to .690 in the first half of the year.
In early June, amidst his struggles, Vogelbach sat for nine days in what was called a mental break.
After Vogelbach returned to action, he said, “I couldn’t do it the way I could.” “At the end of the day, the name of the game is winning. Even if I don’t do my part to help the team win, someone else can. That’s why you put in the effort.” , do what you can to help this team win.
“For me, it’s about having good at-bats, hitting the ball hard and pushing the baseball.”
He turned things around with a strong second half, hitting .245/.344/.481 with eight home runs over his final 41 games.
But that wasn’t enough, as the Mets decided not to bring him back until 2024.
Toronto has a selective eye (.342 career OBP) and beats right-handed hitters (.452 slugging percentage), but struggles mightily against left-handed hitters (.463 OPS) and ranks in the 2nd percentile in sprint speed. acquired a player who
Vogelbach, who played almost exclusively as a DH, appeared in his final five games as a first baseman in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Mets.
