Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters that designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach will be part of Toronto’s Opening Day roster. Vogelbach will join Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, and Brian Serven as the Jays’ bench mix to begin the season.
As noted earlier in regards to Serven, Vogelbach will also have to be added to the Jays’ 40-man roster prior to their first game on Thursday. Vogelbach signed a minor league deal last month that will pay the slugger $2MM in guaranteed money if he makes Toronto’s active roster, though Davidi suggests that the Jays could possibly avoid that full payout if Vogelbach agrees to an advanced consent. This would create a 45-day window wherein the Blue Jays could outright Vogelbach off their 40-man roster and owe him only a prorated portion of that $2MM salary.
This contractual loophole could reflect Vogelbach’s status as something of an understudy for Joey Votto, as it looked like Votto’s arrival in Toronto on a minor league deal would likely spell the end of Vogelbach’s stint in the Jays’ camp. However, it already seemed like Votto was going to need some extra tune-up time in the minor leagues once Spring Training was over, and the former NL MVP has also been hampered by a minor ankle injury that has limited him to just one plate appearance (a home run) this spring.
This created an opening for Vogelbach to stick with the team, and he helped his case by hitting .226/.314/.581 with three homers over 35 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play. Vogelbach doesn’t bring much roster flexibility as a DH-only player who is only playable against right-handed pitching, yet he has shown some solid pop against righties over his eight big league seasons. His left-handed bat is also particularly helpful on a heavily right-handed Jays team, as Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, and Cavan Biggio are the only lefty-swingers on the Opening Day roster. (Nathan Lukes and Spencer Horwitz were optioned to Triple-A.)
Vogelbach hit .233/.339/.404 with 13 homers over 319 PA with the Mets in 2023, and all but 16 of those plate appearances came against right-handed pitchers. Over his career, Vogelbach has a drastic set of splits — 74 home runs and a .240/.362/.452 slash line in 1555 PA against righties, and a dismal .129/248/.215 slash in 323 PA against southpaws.
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