Mets acquire slugger Vogelbach from Pirates
The New York Mets acquired slugging designated hitter/first baseman Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-hander Colin Holderman, the teams announced Friday.
Vogelbach brings the Mets some much-needed additional left-handed pop, to the tune of a .896 OPS and 12 homers against right-handed pitching. The Mets enter play Friday with just 92 homers as a team, ranking 17th in the league.
"We wanted to get an offensive player in here. ... He could be a presence in the order," Mets general manager Billy Eppler said, per SNY.
Vogelbach is earning $1 million this season, and his contract contains a $1.5-million club option for 2023 with a $250,000 buyout. He's also arbitration-eligible through 2025.
The 29-year-old is a lifetime .213/.336/.408 hitter with 61 homers and 165 RBIs across parts of seven big-league seasons with four teams. His best season came in 2019 when he slugged 30 homers and drove in 76 runs during an All-Star campaign with the Seattle Mariners.
New York may not be done beefing up its lineup, as the Mets are still open to adding another hitter before the Aug. 2 deadline, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Holderman, who heads to Pittsburgh, has been enjoying an excellent rookie season in New York's bullpen. The 26-year-old owns a 2.04 ERA, 2.26 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and seven walks across 15 big-league appearances this year.
The Pirates also activated outfielder Greg Allen from the 60-day injured list while designating catcher Michael Perez for assignment.
New York, meanwhile, recalled reliever Yoan Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse to fill Holderman's roster spot. Lopez will be active Friday when the Mets face the San Diego Padres, according to Newsday's Tim Healey.