Brewers DFA Smoak; Get Vogelbach

[Eye Black]

Per Rosenthal: Brewers DFA Smoak, get Vogelbach, source tells The Athletic.

[TURBO]

whoa............................Sogard next?

[patrickgpe]

I thought Smoak was OK. Clearly they wanted to get someone younger in there to see what he can do. I have been harking for a while that there is no long term plan at the corner IF's. This really doesn't fix it.

[homer]

Pretty sure Vogelbach was in one of my softball leagues back in the day.

 

[TURBO]

Vogelbach? lol Like he will be any better than Smoak.

 

Just keep throwing that crap against the wall...

[markedman5]

He’s been worse then Smoak this season........

[jonescm128]

how is this any better? salary dump or what?

[Eye Black]

Someday we'll be able to utter the phrase, "Daniel Vogelbach, the biggest Cubs-killer of them all"

[Roderick]

Per Rosenthal: Brewers DFA Smoak, get Vogelbach, source tells The Athletic.

 

What am I missing? Trying to save on the $1M buyout?

 

Just looking at stats Vogelbach is nothing special. Okay seasons in the minors, but I don't think there was anything special stats-wise as it is the PCL.

[homer]

He’s been worse then Smoak this season........

 

Vogelbach has been worse than most baseball players for most of his career.

[MrTPlush]

Great, Stearns already trying to get cheap garbage for next years team.

 

Vogelbach has decent performance against RHP between 2018-2019...that's all that is attractive there. Looking at him his defense must just be atrocious.

[MrTPlush]

Per Rosenthal: Brewers DFA Smoak, get Vogelbach, source tells The Athletic.

 

What am I missing? Trying to save on the $1M buyout?

 

Just looking at stats Vogelbach is nothing special. Okay seasons in the minors, but I don't think there was anything special stats-wise as it is the PCL.

 

Pretty sure if no one takes on Smoak we have to pay that. Releasing him would effectively be declining the option.

[RollieTime]

But... But first base is such an easy position to find competent bats I don’t like Smoak at all, but this move makes no sense. The only reason I could understand it is if they want someone else to pick him up so we don’t need to pay the buyout (I think?). Which would then be a valid reason to let him go. Not sure if that’s how it works or not though.

[narwhalattack]

Stearns anticipating more payroll cuts in 2021?

[tmwiese55]

FYI Thames is at 205/298 with 325 slugging, 2 HRs. According to an update I see from yesterday it was the first game vs a righty he didn't start. So it seems he's been playing consistently and vs righties. So, both flopped.

[bensheeps]

Gyorko get a chance as everyday 1st baseman with Vogelbach as DH & PH?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Is Doug Melvin back? Dan Vogelbach is very much a Doug Melvin-type player.

 

Probably means Gyorko to 1B most days, which means more Sogard! Yay!

[jerichoholicninja]

I think it was more than they decided to DFA Smoak and Vogelbach happened to be available at the time so they filled the roster spot with a guy they can easily dump when they need to. I would guess Gyorko is the full time 1B now.

[Underachiever]

If you drop an All-Star first baseman, you better pick up an All-Star to replace him! Vogelbach is now in contention with Matt Stairs as Brewer who looks like he should be dominating a slo-pitch league.

 

As a fan, I am often guilty of "DFA this guy!" But there has to be a corresponding move, doesn't there? My dislike of Smoak had nothing to do with the fact that Vogelbach was sitting out there on waivers. Now that Smoak is gone, I'm thinking, they did it for this?

[Eye Black]

[Not So] Fun Fact: Daniel Vogelbach currently trails Robin Yount by just two All Star Game selections.

 

 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

At least David Stearns has been pretty quick to admit his mistakes this year and move on. First Morrison, then Brock Holt and Justin Grimm and now Smoak. Sometimes you catch a little lightning in a bottle with these older vet reclamation projects, and sometimes you don't. They've done reasonably well with Gyorko, Brett Anderson and Phelps. Needed to hit on more of those guys to be a contender this year, though.

[mtrebs]

Pretty sure Vogelbach was in one of my softball leagues back in the day.

 

 

In this picture he looks like he could be an illegitimate child of the late, great Chris Farley.

[PeaveyFury]

Vogelbach was an All-Star LAST YEAR?

[patrickgpe]

Stearns anticipating more payroll cuts in 2021?

I don't think this has anything to do with budget cuts, but rather get a younger guy here to see what he can do.

[Eye Black]

Vogelbach was an All-Star LAST YEAR?

Yes. His first month was fantastic (1.195 OPS), and his first half overall was much, much better than his second half.

 

Here were his 1st half/2nd half splits in 2019:

 

[pre]Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS

1st Half 85 76 341 277 49 66 11 0 21 51 0 61 79 .238 .375 .505 .881

2nd Half 59 53 217 185 24 30 6 0 9 25 0 31 70 .162 .286 .341 .626[/pre]