Blue Jays, Vogelbach agree to minor-league deal

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a contract with free-agent designated hitter/first baseman Daniel Vogelbach, the club announced Sunday.

The 31-year-old will earn $2 million if he sticks in the majors, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Vogelbach hit .233/.339/.404 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs in 104 games with the New York Mets last year, primarily as the left-handed half of a DH platoon. He became a free agent when he was non-tendered by New York in November.

His value in the majors lies in either a platoon or pinch-hitting role due to his extreme splits against right-handed pitching and limited defensive abilities. Vogelbach owns a lifetime .814 OPS with 74 home runs versus righties, compared to .463 with six homers against left-handers. While he can play first base if needed, he's played just five innings defensively over the last two seasons.

With Justin Turner seemingly entrenched as Toronto's DH for 2024, Vogelbach will likely spend camp attempting to beat out fellow left-handed hitting first baseman Spencer Horwitz for a bench spot.

Vogelbach is a lifetime .220/.342/.410 hitter across parts of eight big-league seasons with five teams. His best individual campaign came in 2019 when he hit 30 homers for the Seattle Mariners en route to earning his first and only All-Star berth.

This will be Vogelbach's second stint in the Blue Jays organization. He appeared in two games for the club during the 2020 season, a year that saw him also play for both the Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers.