NEWSLETTER
The MLB Draft has finally come and gone, which means: Trade season is upon us.
Specifically, the New York Mets are kicking things off by trading for old friend Dan Vogelbach:
Vogelbach, 29, is a bat-only guy who is currently enjoying the best season of his career (.228/.338/.430/118 wRC+). A solid pick up for any team that needs a boost to its DH group, which has certainly been the case with the Mets. J.D. Davis has been a below-average bat this season after years of never not hitting, and Dom Smith has labored through another disappointing year (and just went on the IL for an ankle issue).
So what will this deal mean going forward? Well, it’s probably just a simple and obvious move for the Mets: we need a better DH option, Vogelbach is available, so let’s do this. I would not say it precludes them from making other offensive moves like adding Willson Contreras. Heck, it could just be a DH hedge against not eventually landing a major bat like that.
Indeed, Jon Heyman reports that the Mets are still open to acquiring another bat. So keep that on your radar.
Curious what a guy like Vogelbach, who is controllable for another couple years but who has never quite been able to stick, returns in trade these days?
Well, Colin Holderman, 26, has been a fantastic reliever for the Mets this year, albeit in a limited sample (2.04 ERA, 2.26 FIP over 17.2 innings). He progressively worked his way up the minor league ladder, and if I can scout the numbers, I suspect some regression is coming for him in the big leagues without more improvement. Overall, looks to be a good and useful, cost-controlled reliever for the Pirates in the years ahead, but probably not a big-time impact type?
