As the Mets’ woes deepened this season, Daniel Vogelbach’s presence — first in the lineup then on the team — became a polarizing issue between the front office and manager.
Vogelbach, acquired by the Mets at the 2022 trade deadline, was the team’s designated hitter this season against right-handed pitching.
But the 30-year-old slumped early in the season and manager Buck Showalter, according to sources, met resistance from general manager Billy Eppler at various points when trying to employ options other than Vogelbach at DH against right-handed pitching.
Showalter was told he had to play Vogelbach, the source said.
Part of the manager’s opposition to Vogelbach was philosophical: Showalter viewed the DH spot as one that should be used on a rotation, allowing position players a partial rest while remaining in the lineup.
But Showalter — who was fired last weekend, allowing new president of baseball operations David Stearns the opportunity to pick his own manager following the Mets’ 75-win season — also had an issue with Vogelbach’s limited skill set, according to a source.
Vogelbach’s strength over two months last season after arriving from the Pirates was on-base percentage.
But the slow-footed Vogelbach didn’t hit for enough power, even when getting on base, to warrant regular inclusion in the lineup in Showalter’s estimation, the source said.
Vogelbach’s limited mobility also meant he couldn’t be used in the field.
Vogelbach’s underwhelming performance only exacerbated the situation.
After his OPS sunk to .639 with an 0-for-3 performance against the Braves on June 7, Vogelbach didn’t appear in a game for another nine days as he received time off to work on his swing and mental approach.
Upon returning to the lineup Vogelbach had a brief surge, but his OPS still lingered at .690 at the All-Star break.
It’s possible Vogelbach’s anemic presence could be overlooked if the rest of the lineup produced.
But Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte and Brett Baty also had disappointing first halves, and Francisco Alvarez was wildly inconsistent, spiking in May and July, but barely noticeable in April and June.
It was assumed the Mets would unload Vogelbach at the trade deadline, but when that didn’t happen Showalter, according to a source, began openly questioning why Vogelbach was still on the team.
Not only was Vogelbach still on the team, but the source indicated the manager was told by Eppler to keep him in the starting lineup.
The organization’s internal debate at the time was whether Ronny Mauricio should be promoted from Triple-A Syracuse and receive playing time.
Vogelbach responded with his best month, posting an .890 OPS with six homers in August.
But by Sept. 1, Mark Vientos and Baty had returned to the club and Mauricio was promoted, signaling a commitment to the younger players over the final month.
Vogelbach received just 21 at-bats in September and didn’t appear in the final eight games of the season.
Vogelbach finished with a .233/.339/.404 slash line overall with 13 homers and 48 RBIs.
One commonality between Eppler and Stearns (who previously headed the Brewers front office) is they both acquired Vogelbach, who spent parts of two seasons in Milwaukee.
The Mets this offseason will have to decide whether to tender Vogelbach a contract for next season (he is in his final year of arbitration eligibility).
Eppler remains the general manager in the Mets’ new hierarchy, but the final decision on whether to retain Vogelbach and for what role ultimately will belong to Stearns.
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