Perhaps the entire NL East is indeed in by mode, as the Atlanta Braves have made their second addition of the week, acquiring catcher Stephen Vogt from Arizona in exchange for minor-league first baseman Mason Berne.
Vogt, 36, has slashed .212/.307/.386 with five home runs and 17 RBI in 52 games this season, and has thrown out 50 percent of attempted base stealers (10 of 20). Over his career, Vogt has slashed .247/.308/.419 in 698 games with Tampa Bay, Oakland, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Arizona, and he was an AL All-Star with the A’s in 2015 and 2016.
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The addition of Vogt follows the acquisition Thursday of outfielder Joc Pederson from the Cubs, with Pederson set to take over as the Braves’ everyday right fielder after the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. to a torn ACL.
Vogt has also played first base and left field in his career, but will stabilize a catching position that has been in flux for the Braves seemingly all season. The team lost starter Travis d’Arnaud on May 1 to a thumb injury, and saw Tyler Flowers, who had just signed a new minor-league deal when d’Arnaud went down, abruptly retire due to his back issues two weeks later.
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Since then, William Contreras, who is currently at Triple-A, leads Atlanta with 41 starts behind the plate, and the current roster includes Kevan Smith (17) and Jonathan Lucroy (2). If and when Vogt appears behind the plate, he would be the seventh catcher employed by the Braves this season.
Berne, 25, was the Braves’ 33rd-round pick in 2018. He was 3-for-12 with one home run in five games for the Braves’ Florida Complex League affiliate this season, and is a .231 career hitter in 75 games between that affiliate and the now-defunct Advanced Rookie-level team in Danville.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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