Dust off those Stephen Vogt jerseys, A’s fans.
The beloved has agreed to a major-league contract to return to Oakland, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara on Wednesday. Vogt won a World Series ring with the Atlanta Braves last season following a midseason trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Vogt became a fan favorite during his four-plus seasons from 2013 to 2017, when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers midway through the campaign. He made back-to-back All-Star teams in 2015 and 2016 but endeared himself to the fanbase with his affable personality,
The 37-year-old joins a group behind the plate that also includes 2021 starter Sean Murphy, Austin Allen, who mashed a dinger on Tuesday, and elite prospect Shane Langeliers, though Langeliers isn't on the 40-man roster.
The signing also marks Oakland’s first free-agent deal this offseason. Earlier in the day, the franchise was getting clowned on social media for spending no money this winter.
Vogt slashed .195/.283/.333 with seven homers and 25 RBI in 78 games last year, so he doesn’t offer much at the plate. On paper, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to bring him in when you could develop Allen and/or Langeliers, but perhaps the A’s want him to help bring some leadership to the locker room.
Murphy, 27, is more than capable of handling the A’s staff at this point but Vogt can also bring a respected game-calling presence behind the plate. Perhaps it's a sign that Murphy could be on the move in a trade, so stay tuned. Vogt also has 77 career games at first base, so he could figure into the equation to replace Matt Olson.
At the very least, bleacher fans in Section 149 can revive the "I believe in Stephen Vogt!" chant.
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