Brewers DFA Smoak; Get Vogelbach

[CheezWizHed]

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

 

 

 

He also trails Robin by 2 MVP titles! [sarcasm]Would be great if he caught Robin in both categories in two years...[/sarcasm]

[Lathund]

I don't have very high hopes for Vogelbach. But at the same time, Smoak looked terrible. His walk rate was way down and strikeout rate way up, so he wasn't just a victim of bad luck on batted balls either. Vogelbach is at least walking a ton and not striking out all that much, and does have power when he connects. So Isuppose it makes some sense to see if they can sort him out; league minimum this year and next, and 4 years of team control. So if it works out, he's here cheaply for a long time. My expectation is that he won't really be any better than Smoak, but there is at least some more potential upside there, however unlikely.

[wildcat83]

Maybe there's some juice in there to be unlocked, maybe not. Best find out in the wacky 2020 season before adding First Base to the shopping list for 2021.

 

Even if he rakes the rest of the season you don't take 1B off the shopping list. A good 20 games isn't going to make him a long term solution.

[SRB]

Low BABIP does correlated with hitting poorly/making weak contact, but it's no mystery why they would rather bet on a Vogelbach rebound:

 

Vogelbach: .075 BABIP (!), 17.4 BB%, 21.7 K%

 

Smoak: .232 BABIP, 7.9 BB%, 31.7 K%

[LouisEly]

Give him a look for 25 or so games, see if they can make some adjustments and remake him into the H1 2019 player. It's a cheap look, he's not arby eligible until 2022, so if it doesn't work out cut him.

[markedman5]

Isn't Ryon Healy a better hitter than Vogelbach? Granted he hits RH, but his career numbers are better.

 

Think about it, Stearns basically got nothing in return for Aguilar, who's 20 RBI this year would be 2nd on the Brewers. He lets Thames go. He signs Smoak who they give basically 6 weeks and now they've signed a guy who's hit about 100 points less than his weight for his career.

 

He got what he could for Aguilar....unless you know of better offers that he turned down?..he had no options left and was slumping so bad that he wasn’t playing for us anymore. He was designated for assignment by Tampa after the season ...nobody thought he was worth trading for so he ended up going to the Marlins on waivers.

[TURBO]

When you shop at the dollar store you aren't exactly mining for diamonds. Vogelbach is probably no worse than Smoak offensively but he really needs to DH only. I guess Gyorko will play first full time but that would mean Sogard plays nearly every day.

 

geez, that is just great...

[TURBO]

All of these guys (Smoak, Gyorko, Sogard) are short term pieces. In a 60 game season they probably know they’re in trouble if they get off to a slow start. At least Stearns is trying things to get the offense going

 

Sogard might be our starting 3B for the rest of this year, and next. CC will probably push to re-sign him in the off-season.

[TURBO]

I don't have very high hopes for Vogelbach. But at the same time, Smoak looked terrible. His walk rate was way down and strikeout rate way up, so he wasn't just a victim of bad luck on batted balls either. Vogelbach is at least walking a ton and not striking out all that much, and does have power when he connects. So Isuppose it makes some sense to see if they can sort him out; league minimum this year and next, and 4 years of team control. So if it works out, he's here cheaply for a long time. My expectation is that he won't really be any better than Smoak, but there is at least some more potential upside there, however unlikely.

 

Yeah, Haines has had so much success with the rest of the offense...

[TURBO]

I am almost rooting against Vogelbach. If he gives them even the slightest glimmer that he might be ok, he will remain on next year's team. His track record is garbage, he isn't going to magically transform. Just looking at the guy tells me this is a "fill the roster" type signing, nothing more. (at least I hope so)

[markedman5]

[markedman5]

When you shop at the dollar store you aren't exactly mining for diamonds. Vogelbach is probably no worse than Smoak offensively but he really needs to DH only. I guess Gyorko will play first full time but that would mean Sogard plays nearly every day.

 

geez, that is just great...

 

Sogard will play but certainly not nearly every day.

 

You will see Arcia, Hiura and Urias covering the infield along with Jedd against lefties with Braun at DH.

 

Mathias can also play infield if needed.

 

Sogard will play vs righties just like he was before is my guess.

[areacodes]

Isn't Ryon Healy a better hitter than Vogelbach? Granted he hits RH, but his career numbers are better.

 

Think about it, Stearns basically got nothing in return for Aguilar, who's 20 RBI this year would be 2nd on the Brewers. He lets Thames go. He signs Smoak who they give basically 6 weeks and now they've signed a guy who's hit about 100 points less than his weight for his career.

 

He got what he could for Aguilar....unless you know of better offers that he turned down?..he had no options left and was slumping so bad that he wasn’t playing for us anymore. He was designated for assignment by Tampa after the season ...nobody thought he was worth trading for so he ended up going to the Marlins on waivers.

 

 

But he has 20(!) RBI’s this year.

 

Briggs also brought up Thames being released by Stearns. His OPS is actually worse than Smoak’s this year.

[CheeseheadInQC]

This feels very much like a “who is more likely to get randomly hot for a few weeks” move.

[SoCalBrewfan]

I guess I'm a little surprised, but you can't really say Smoak showed he deserved more looks. All across the league, vets who are flailing are just getting dumped. We could get Matt Adams after the Braves released him, but he's been even worse this year. I guess there's still a chance Vogelbach rebounds and has some future value, though he can't field, throw, or run? Who's next, you wonder? Bring on Chad Spangberger!

[Jopal78]

I am almost rooting against Vogelbach. If he gives them even the slightest glimmer that he might be ok, he will remain on next year's team. His track record is garbage, he isn't going to magically transform. Just looking at the guy tells me this is a "fill the roster" type signing, nothing more. (at least I hope so)

 

He hit in the minor leagues and was regarded well enough to be traded by the Cubs for Mike Montgomery who was a key contributor for the Cubs for several years. He also has hit some in the major leagues. Get him in some better parks than those huge west coast ballparks, and maybe there’s something their. Not a core guy but a capable contributor

[brewmann04]

Sogard will share time wit Urias hopefully.

[brewmann04]

it seems like DS is moving the dead wood from this team.

[TURBO]

When you shop at the dollar store you aren't exactly mining for diamonds. Vogelbach is probably no worse than Smoak offensively but he really needs to DH only. I guess Gyorko will play first full time but that would mean Sogard plays nearly every day.

 

geez, that is just great...

 

Sogard will play but certainly not nearly every day.

 

You will see Arcia, Hiura and Urias covering the infield along with Jedd against lefties with Braun at DH.

 

Mathias can also play infield if needed.

 

Sogard will play vs righties just like he was before is my guess.

 

Sogard plays nearly every day now, this move ensures him even more playing time.

 

Sogard is a regular starter as it is, this move surely won't relegate him to any more bench time.

[markedman5]

Sogard plays vs righties.......this move will have no bearing in him getting more playing time.

 

The only guy who we know will get more time is Gyorko.....which is what many people were asking for anyway.

[jerichoholicninja]

 

Is a hitter coming off the DL soon? I wouldn't be surprised if Vogelbach is gone by the end of next week. Like I posted before, this seems like a claim just to have a guy on the roster they can easily dump when they need to.

[wildcat2237]

 

Is a hitter coming off the DL soon? I wouldn't be surprised if Vogelbach is gone by the end of next week. Like I posted before, this seems like a claim just to have a guy on the roster they can easily dump when they need to.

 

+1. I anticipate being very done with Vogelback after about 10 at bats.

[Devinep]

Sogard plays vs righties.......this move will have no bearing in him getting more playing time.

 

The only guy who we know will get more time is Gyorko.....which is what many people were asking for anyway.

 

It’s ridiculous that Sogard plays almost every game against righties

[Bulldogboy]

Most organizations have a couple minor league guys who can mash and hold down a corner outfield spot or first base. It's the easiest thing to find. The fact this team doesn't is nuts.

[JohnBriggs12]

Most organizations have a couple minor league guys who can mash and hold down a corner outfield spot or first base. It's the easiest thing to find. The fact this team doesn't is nuts.

 

Check the Brewer drafts under Stearns. He simply doesn't draft masher corner infielders or corner outfielders for that matter. Anywhere much less the early rounds. Worse, he unloaded the one guy in the system he inherited that could mash, Garrett Cooper, at the first sign he was a prospect. Same goes for corner OF prospects he inherited. He couldn't wait to unload Grisham. He made some nice cheap acquisitions, Aguilar, Ji-Man Choi, and Thames but never really committed to those guys. He traded Kris Davis for peanuts, because he couldn't imagine trying him at 1B or moving Braun there.