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Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider instructed Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and different reporters that designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach shall be a part of Toronto’s Opening Day roster. Vogelbach will be a part of Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, and Brian Serven because the Jays’ bench combine to start the season.
As famous earlier in regards to Serven, Vogelbach can even must be added to the Jays’ 40-man roster previous to their first sport on Thursday. Vogelbach signed a minor league deal final month that may pay the slugger $2MM in assured cash if he makes Toronto’s energetic roster, although Davidi suggests that the Jays might presumably keep away from that full payout if Vogelbach agrees to a complicated consent. This might create a 45-day window whereby the Blue Jays might outright Vogelbach off their 40-man roster and owe him solely a prorated portion of that $2MM wage.
This contractual loophole might mirror Vogelbach’s standing as one thing of an understudy for Joey Votto, because it seemed like Votto’s arrival in Toronto on a minor league deal would possible spell the top of Vogelbach’s stint within the Jays’ camp. Nonetheless, it already appeared like Votto was going to wish some additional tune-up time within the minor leagues as soon as Spring Coaching was over, and the previous NL MVP has additionally been hampered by a minor ankle harm that has restricted him to only one plate look (a house run) this spring.
This created a gap for Vogelbach to stay with the group, and he helped his case by hitting .226/.314/.581 with three homers over 35 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play. Vogelbach doesn’t carry a lot roster flexibility as a DH-only participant who is just playable towards right-handed pitching, but he has proven some stable pop towards righties over his eight massive league seasons. His left-handed bat can be significantly useful on a closely right-handed Jays group, as Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, and Cavan Biggio are the one lefty-swingers on the Opening Day roster. (Nathan Lukes and Spencer Horwitz had been optioned to Triple-A.)
Vogelbach hit .233/.339/.404 with 13 homers over 319 PA with the Mets in 2023, and all however 16 of these plate appearances got here towards right-handed pitchers. Over his profession, Vogelbach has a drastic set of splits — 74 house runs and a .240/.362/.452 slash line in 1555 PA towards righties, and a dismal .129/248/.215 slash in 323 PA towards southpaws.
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