MOUSTACHES
The New York Mets acquired designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-hander Colin Holderman. The teams announced the deal on Twitter.
Vogelbach, 29, hit .228/.338/.430 (117 OPS+) with 12 home runs in 75 games with the Pirates. Dating back to the start of the pandemic, he’s batting .221/.341/.404 (105 OPS+) while appearing in games with four different teams: the Pirates, of course, as well as the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers.
Vogelbach has had extreme platoon splits throughout his career. He had an .817 OPS against righties and just .489 against lefties. Presumably, the Mets will view him as an upgrade on Dominic Smith, who has struggled after a seemingly breakout effort in 2019. In other words, expect Vogelbach to step in at DH with JD Davis. (Smith, for his part, has been on the block for years.)
The Mets entered Friday with a 58-35 regular-season record, giving them a 2 ½-game lead in the National League East over the Atlanta Braves. The Mets will begin the second half on Friday night by hosting the San Diego Padres for three games.
In Holderman, 26, the Pirates get a rookie right-hander who has amassed a 2.04 ERA (200 ERA+) and a 2.57 strikeout-walk ratio in 17 innings. His game hinges on sinkers and sliders/cutters, with the latter racking up a whiff rate north of 40 percent so far in what is a small sample size.
The Pirates, 39-54, will also begin the second half of their schedule Friday night with a three-game homestand against the Miami Marlins.
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