A’s Vogt: ‘I love playing this game’
MESA, Ariz. — In his final game of 2021, Stephen Vogt hit two home runs for Atlanta, then limped off the field with an injury.
Vogt had surgery for a sports hernia in October. He turned 37 on Nov. 1. The next day, he held the Commissioner’s Trophy in Houston as the Braves celebrated their World Series win over the Astros.
For any player ready to close his career, it might have offered an ideal final act.
“Of course, that thought enters your mind,” Vogt said Friday in the dugout at Hohokam Stadium. “But really what it came down to is I love to play baseball. I love playing this game. And my body’s going to allow me to do it.
“I worked really hard to get healthy after the last surgery, and if there was an opportunity out there, I wanted to take it. And I’m so blessed and excited that that opportunity came from Oakland and that I’m back here with the A’s.”
Vogt, the catcher who has spent nine seasons in the majors, finalized a one-year deal with the A’s on Thursday, rejoining the organization with which he first gained a majorleague footing. Vogt arrived in Oakland in 2013 at age 28 without a hit in the majors and spent parts of five seasons with the A’s, making two All-Star teams and becoming a key clubhouse figure.
“My family, we grew up as Oakland A’s, and I established myself as a major-leaguer in Oakland,” he said. “This is kind of like a dream come true to come back here and play one more time . ... However I can contribute and at any level, I’m open, and we’ll see how that plays out.”
Recent seasons have proven challenging for Vogt. Shoulder surgery cost him most of 2018. He returned with a strong 2019 season (.263, 10 homers) for the Giants, then totaled 104 over games across the past two seasons with Arizona and Atlanta, posting a slash line of .188/.274/.319. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Vogt’s impact should go beyond numbers.
“I think obviously the first thing that stands out is leadership,” Kotsay said. “He’s been here. He understands the culture. He represents the culture, the grind, the grit.
“From a playing side, he has ability to go out and play first, he obviously has the ability to go back behind the plate, and then DH. So that’s kind of the roles I’m envisioning for him and we’ll try to utilize.”
Sean Murphy, a first-time Gold Glove winner last year, is the A’s primary catcher. Kotsay said he expects having Vogt on the roster will contribute in multiple ways, “be a part of (Murphy’s) growth,” along with his own as a first-year manager. Vogt’s last spring training with the A’s in 2017 was Murphy’s first after being drafted. Vogt said he views Murphy as “one of the elite catchers in the big leagues.”
“There are very few that are better defensively and very few that have the offensive power that he has,” Vogt said. “I think he’s got the ability to be one of the top catchers in our game for a very long time.”
Few A’s players remain from Vogt’s first stint. Pitcher Sean Manaea made his major-league debut with Vogt at catcher and said Vogt helped calm him down as a rookie.
“He brings a ton to this clubhouse,” said utilityman Chad Pinder, the lone position-player holdover from the 2017 team. “Not just veteran experience but positive energy, a positive guy, just someone that is a blast to have in the clubhouse. He knows how things go here. Just a great human being. It’s exciting to get him back, for sure.”
Vogt was part of the A’s postseason teams in 2013 and 2014 and Oakland’s last-place finishes the next two seasons. A possible decline in standings looms ahead for the A’s this year after four straight winning seasons, after multiple key players departed via trades and free agency.
“My message is this: We have an opportunity,” Vogt said. “I’ve been here, I’ve never once said, ‘We’re not going to have a great year.’ We’re going to have a great year. It’s what we do with this opportunity that we’re given.”
Vogt had surgery Oct. 6. He resumed baseball activities in early January but remained unsigned as the lockout ended. He said the time before the A’s contacted him was “the longest two weeks of my career.” He was “ecstatic” to learn of their interest.
“Just to come back and be in this uniform and with these guys and have a chance to go back to the bay and represent the A’s, I couldn’t be more excited and honored,” Vogt said.