The Twins have been open about their plans to reduce payroll and that has reportedly led them to try to trade some players from their roster. In an appearance on Foul Territory, Robert Murray of FanSided listed catcher Christian Vázquez as one player that the club has been aggressively shopping.
Vázquez, now 33, signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Twins almost a year ago. He got that deal after many years of solid work in the big leagues, generally pairing strong defense with offense around league average for a backstop. However, the first year in Minnesota didn’t go especially well. Vázquez was still good when donning the tools of ignorance but his work with the bat took a big step backwards. His strikeout rate jumped to a career high of 23.1% and his overall line of .223/.280/.318 translated to a wRC+ of just 65.
While Vázquez was going through that disappointing season, the Twins saw Ryan Jeffers take the opposite path. He had a tremendous breakout campaign in 2023, hitting 14 home runs in 96 games. His .276/.369/.490 batting line led to a wRC+ of 138. His glovework isn’t as heralded as that of Vázquez but he is still just 26 years old and could still make strides behind the plate. He’s only entering arbitration for the first time this winter with a projected salary of $2.3MM and isn’t slated for free agency until after 2026.
Vázquez still has two years and $20MM left on his deal, which isn’t terribly burdensome by baseball payroll standards. But for a club looking to cut costs due to its uncertainty around broadcast revenue, $10MM per year on a catcher who has been leapfrogged on the depth chart might be a luxury they can’t afford. Jair Camargo just had a strong season in Triple-A and got added to the 40-man roster, so perhaps he could step in as a backup to Jeffers, or the club could also look for a lower-cost veteran to replace Vázquez.
Though the Twins are looking to shed salary, they will likely have to eat at least a little bit of the deal in order to move it. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reported this week that several other clubs were willing to give Vázquez deals around two years and $20MM last year before the Twins got it done by adding a third year. But with Vázquez now a year older and coming off a rough season, the desire by other clubs to take on that contract is surely diminished.
But once the financials are worked out, there would likely be plenty of interest around the league. Murray mentions that the Padres had interest in Vázquez when he was a free agent, though they have their own payroll concerns and Luis Campusano had a strong finish to the 2023 season for them, perhaps reducing their need for help behind the plate. Murray also mentions the Marlins as a speculative fit, which is sensible since they are known to be looking for upgrades there. Some other clubs that could perhaps look for veteran to help with the workload behind the plate include the Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Rays, Diamondbacks and others.
Despite the rough 2023 campaign, Vázquez suitors might be interested in the .271/.318/.416 batting line he posted from 2019 to 2022. That translated to a 94 wRC+, below average overall but roughly par for a catcher, which paired nicely with his excellent glovework. What might help the Twins is that the free agent market doesn’t have many more exciting options. Mitch Garver and Tom Murphy have more offensive upside but both have significant injury histories and can’t match Vázquez in terms of defense. Gary Sánchez, Victor Caratini and Yasmani Grandal are some of the other top names available. What might work against the Twins, however, is that the Yankees are also looking to trade from their catching surplus.
It’s been suggested that the Twins could look to open 2024 with a payroll between $125MM and $140MM, a drop from last year’s $154MM mark. Roster Resource has them pegged at $125MM already, giving them little wiggle room for upgrading the pitching staff. They could give themselves a bit more breathing space with a trade of a player making a somewhat notable salary, such as Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco or Kyle Farmer, but Vázquez is apparently on the list as well.
Yet another example of a team suffering free agent buyer’s remorse. You’d think teams would learn by now. Expect sometimes at the really high end, free agent signings generally disappoint. Overpays don’t match performance.
nurse – Despite DMC insisting Vaz is a great defensive catcher, I have pointed out for a couple years that he is not well regarded in that area. He makes a lot of mental mistakes, his poor conditioning impacts his game, and pitchers don’t like throwing to him. He has a good arm, that’s about it.
I fully supported Bloom trading him, I knew Houston would cut him loose really fast, and I repeatedly said the contract he got from the Twins was ridiculous even with the dearth of quality catchers in MLB.
Whichever team takes on the Glitter Belt Boy will no doubt insist on the Twins eating much of the contract.
I mean he was a pending free agent at the time of the trade so it wasn’t exactly a hot take to figure he wasn’t going to be in Houston long
Mango – They let Vaz walk and instead kept Maldonado because ….. ?
The ‘Stros had zero interest in extending Vaz, there’s a reason why.
That trade could possibly go down as Bloom’s best ever steal, even better than the Pivetta trade.
They let Vasquez walk because they preferred Maldonado defensively. Maldonado was more comfortable with their staff, having been there for years, and they had a younger catcher with hitting upside, Yainer Diaz, who they believed in for a backup. Boy, were they correct. Already having a higher payroll than the Twins, Houston couldn’t afford an expensive backup C.
I’m sure you have a conspiracy theory as your reason, but in this case, nothing clandestine is needed. The reasons were obvious.
stymee – I totally agree with everything you wrote, except the conspiracy part of course.
So then the question still remains, why did Houston trade two relatively well regarded prospects for a 2-month rental of a backup catcher that they didn’t intend to extend? Makes no sense.
I’m fairly certain it was Vaz’s poor performance in a Houston uniform that led the Astros to change their mind about possibly extending Vazquez.
They traded for him because the manager vetoed a trade for a Wilson Contreras rental, and they pivoted to Vazquez, paying a premium to do so.
Was Houston making that vetoed trade with the thought of extending Contreras? I’m not sure why the assertion that Houston originally trades for Vazquez to possibly retain him long term, then moves on after he struggles for two months.
swanzey – Midseason trades of #1 catchers is rare.
Can you picture any team saying “We need to upgrade our backup catcher for the stretch drive”.
I don’t think so. The Astros were clearly concerned about Maldonado, hence the reason for the two prospects being traded for a catcher. They probably figured they would extend Vaz for 2 years, trade Maldonado, and hopefully by 2025 Diaz could take over as the #1 catcher. Of course Diaz’s rookie season turned out to be much better than expected.
@fever
Your post got me remembering the even rarer in season type trade: when you swap multiple starting position players in the same deal. It reminded me of 1996 when the Tigers traded John Flaherty (C) and Chris Gomez (SS) to the Padres for Brad Ausmus (C) and Andujar Cedeno (SS)
Although that MIGHT be true, it has more to do with the loss of TV revenue from Bally’s declaring bankruptcy. .
Bald – Sorry but this is not a pure salary dump.
He started only 91 games at catcher this year, he’s got only a .592 OPS since leaving Boston a year and a half ago, and he didn’t even play in the postseason this year.
All that is NOT what you’d call a #1 catcher, and yet he’s getting paid like a #1.
Twins might have to package a prospect or two with him to get another team to take on that salary.
The worst examples lately are Trevor Story, Javy Baez, Rendon, Stanton, Kris Bryant and others. Hopefully these guys will get healthy and produce for the millions they are paid. Seager and Semien have worked out so far but free agents are a very expensive crap shoot for sure.
BPax – The Story contract was mindboggling bad.
Yeah let’s give $140M to a player whose OPS declined frrom .917 to .874 to .801 and oh BTW he’s also got an injured arm that will require surgery.
Right Fever! And whose splits while with the Rockies skewed to home field.
Devers is a bad contract also, two-tool player, mega bucks. Headed quickly to where the Miggy contract ended up.Sox will add another albatross contract this winter.
Sox weren’t going anywhere anyways. They’d have been better off trading Devers for prospects. In spite of the fact that Red Sox Nation would have had a fit.
Just give it time, it’s only been 2 years for Seager and Semien
Stuck with him. Should have never given him the deal he has.
Understand the TV revenue issue but it’s very disappointing for the Twins to be slashing payroll at a time when they should be taking the next step to be true contenders.
Might be that Correa contract they can’t unload.
I suspect “have discussed” is quite the misnomer here. Begged, pled, debased themselves might be more accurate, lol
376 – So true!!
This division is there to be had. It’s time
to go for it, not surrender. If this isn’t a professional market, then move the franchise. Ridiculous.
It is a professional market, just a smaller one with lower revenue streams. There are only a few Mega Markets, and they all have teams already. You might find one of a similar size, but that won’t change anything in the long run. Las Vegas is the newest market, and it is one of, if not the smallest markets that has gotten a team.
It’s time to go for it, not surrender.
==========================
He had a -0.3 bWAR last year. How is this a surrender?
It’s not about the division.
The twins should easily win the divison for years to come. It’s about taking the next step, and to go from where they ended to cutting payroll, is a terrible thing for fans to hear. We’re pissed off
But Vazquez delivered a -0.3 bWAR for $10M. How could getting rid of him upset you? The RS traded a $5M Urias for a decent-looking RP. That made me quite happy.
Prediction on replacement – Curt Casali. The kind of former Red the Twins love.
If Stassi is done (and I think he is), Vasquez would be great working with the Angels young staff.
This could be a very good fit actually. He wasn’t awful in Houston, just was the right fit.
I’d love to see him back in Houston. I like Jake Myers but if they’re shopping him anyways…
“Donning the tools of ignorance”? For the love of Turkey Day, get over yourself. This is a baseball site, not a 1940s newspaper or a literature blog. Stop trying to impress the masses with your nomenclature, and write about sports, to people who want to read about sports. No one cares about your “higher education” level of literacy.
I love it. Some people enjoy reading florid sentences. If you don’t, skip over it. Nobody was harmed.
“Nomenclature!” No one cares about your vocabulary or “higher education” level of literacy, either!
Insecure much?
Insecure? Cute. I am positive I have a higher education than the author of the article, and yourself.
Nomenclature is a common word. Maybe not to you, but to basically the world, it is.
Have you tried crying about it yet, crybaby?
Sid bream speed is another tough guy a keyboard warrior. I guarantee you don’t say stuff like that to grown men’s faces.
No surprise… Beff Jagwell, an Astros fan…
Steinbrenner that is a lot coming from the scummiest fan base in all of baseball.
I met Carlton Fisk about 20 years ago. He looked at my shirt that said Clarence DeMar Marathon and said, “You’re crazier than me.” We both laughed. That guy caught longer than anyone. “Tools of ignorance” indeed. Great expression.
Not our problem anymore. Finally a good Bloom move
Well technically it still is, for now. Just wait another year or two and that Correa deal is going to be just awful.
Agreed, Mets dodged a bullet
Unless it’s a bad contract swap, I hope the Twins have to pay down a significant portion of the remainder. Every offseason too many teams are trying to dump a contract that they signed the last offseason in poor judgment.
Reese McGuire for Christian Vazquez and Jorge Polanco plus Twins eat 4M of the remainder of Vazquez contract (2m per year).
Red Sox get to reunite with Vazquez and get a switch hitting 2nd baseman.
Twins get a better left-handed hitting catcher and dump at least 27M in salary.
Which team says no?
Red Sox. Too much contract to take on for what he will bring. Twins would have to eat 30-50% of the remaining money.
Good point. I didnt want to go crazy on the contract eating. But it might have to be 8m instead of 4m.
I would do it anyway. It’s a modest upgrade at catcher, and a good upgrade at 2nd. A bit pricey, but a good fit.
I believe McGuire is a free agent now so the Sox no longer control him.
@Dorthy, Mcguire was given a contract las5 week. 1.7 mil,
@ Smith, Sox are paying 2.5 mil for 2 catchers who still have some upside. Why bring in an old cat catcher for 4 times that? Wong is just as good behind the plate.
“Why bring in an old cat catcher for 4 times that?”
To get Polanco for next to nothing. (Other than taking on Vazquez’s salary)
“Wong is just as good behind the plate.”
Wong isnt going anywhere in this scenario and would be the starting catcher with Vazquez as the backup.
Isn’t he making 10 mil this year witha 12 mil club option next?
Vazquez has 2yrs/20 million remaining. Minnesota would eat a decent chunk of that salary. I ran it through “trade simulator” and it said if the Twins eat 6M of the 20M, its a pretty equal trade. So Vazquez would come to Red Sox at 2yrs/14M.
baseballtradevalues.com/trade-simulator
One more note: with Kyle Teel (4th), Nathan Hickey (15th), Johanfran Garcia (25th) and Brooks Brannon (26th) in the farm pipeline, the Red Sox really dont need 2 controllable catchers. So McGuire will be expendable to make room for Hickey or Teel in a year or two, anyways.
“Isn’t he making 10 mil this year witha 12 mil club option next?”
If by “he” you meant Polanco, its 10.5M with 12M option. Red Sox need a right-handed middle infielder. Fangraph and Steamer both project him to have a 2.5 War in 2024. That is a good value for 10M. Then for 2025, they can decide whether to keep him based on the 2024 season, trade or release him. Then, go with one of the younger guys (Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, Brainer Bonaci, Enmanuel Valdez).
This trade (Vazquez and Polanco) would be a move to keep Red Sox competitive until the younger players are ready. Acquring Polanco would immediately improve the middle infield for 2024, while not costing any prospect capital.
That’s about the way I see it. Vazquez had a weak season, but a decent shot at coming back. He might be worth maybe 1.0 WAR as a backup. Polanco is worth maybe 2.5 WAR? If MN kicks in $4M, we get 3.5 WAR for ~ $15M, net of McGuire.
But just as importantly, a 2B and an improvement at backup catcher are decent-sized needs.
TBH, I don’t think MN would do it.
@RSmith. Thanks for the link! Great tool!
I guess we will see how this plays out. Cheers!
He’s a fat slob that has sucked with the astros and twins he’s done
Angels should trade stassi, I’m guessing he’s good to go after missing a year for personal reasons. Wouldn’t get much back, but they could use the salary somewhere else and sign wallach or Maldonado.
I think he probably has a negative trade value.
Yeah he would net a 34 year old single a player, he is about the same as the free agent class, and only has one year left.
ThanksMLBTR for being here on Turkey day! Happy Thanksgiving all!
Vince – Agreed!
On a day when McDonalds, Walmart and Target are all closed, we can always count on MLBTR!
Makes no sense for any team to acquire him unless the Twins are sending prospects with him. There are a bunch of comparable catchers on the market who will sign for less, and will not cost additional assets in terms of prospects.
I hope they can find a trade partner somewhere, if only to reallocate some of that salary towards pitching.
Nobody is taking on the salary. The best the Twins can hope for is a roster spot out of flipping Vazquez.
If Lopez, Ober and Ryan like him keep him. Catchers most valuable skill is making a pitcher better than he is
The Mariners will give you Julio Rodriguez for Vazquez and whichever reliever has the worst ERA in your minor league system. Jerry loves these kinds of deals.
I never understood the Twins signing Vazquez to a multi-year deal when they had Jeffers and could have re-signed Sandy Leon for peanuts to be his backup.
They will probably be able to find a taker but the quality of the return will be dependent on how much salary they are willing to eat
Because Jeffers only plays 1/2 the season and Sandy Leon is worth negative value.
Would gladly take him back in Boston
mcmillan – Sorry the Red Sox already have their maximum number of Vazquez’s.
I think the Twins should keep him. If one catcher goes down you need another competent one. His offense will probably pick back up next year. $10 million per year was an overpay but given the Twins injury history it makes sense to keep him and give JC some more seasoning at AAA and have him as a depth option.
If the Twins trade anyone it should be Jorge Polonco. They have so much depth in the infield and value can come in return for him and another prospect. Kyle Farmer also is a strong trade candidate.
He could go back to the Houston Astros they need a backup catcher.
I would be happy to see him return to Houston. I remember his excellent work behind the plate in the post season no-hitter against the Phillies last year.
He put up an average of 1.6 WAR before he hit free agency. That’s worth a minimum of $8M a season on the free agent market. He was not really an overpay, he just isn’t living up to the contract he definitely earned going into it.
I can be as cut throat as the next guy about not overpaying players in years or dollars. I thought Nola’s contract was way too expensive on the AAV and certainly on the years. But I still think guys who are reliable and heavily used deserve to get paid in free agency. Vazquez got what he deserved contract-wise and he’s not the first guy to not live up to a deal he had earned going into it.
That said- he seems immovable except to open up the roster spot. Financially he’s a sunk cost for the Twins no matter what, I think. They could move him but they’d have to eat the money and take solace in the roster spot, not so much in any financial relief.
The $$$ number was high, but not crazy. I was shocked at the three years, especially given his lack of conditioning. I’d have paid him $15M/2, so I was pretty surprised that Minny paid him double that amount.
Just another example of Falvey not knowing what he’s doing. Put it in the failure side of the spreadsheet, boy that analytics is working just great.
Taking this into consideration with the Twins also picking up Farmer’s contract, it makes me wonder if Minnesota is going to have Farmer don the catching gear again for 2024?
I don’t see the real value in trading Vazquez otherwise. The Twins will either have to eat a substantial amount of the contract (no significant savings) or trade away talent to have another team take Vazquez. The Falvey front office has been happy to cast off prospects to lower payroll before (Phil Hughes), but it’s a stupid decision. Every time.
He’s a cancer now 3 teams in a row want him gone
What Teans will value more than anything else…
Is that Vazquez has been on winning clubs like 6 of the last 7 years and helps take ur team deep into post season….
He’s also a career .265 hitter before this past season
I’m willing to bet no GM has even slightly considered that.
He was benched for the entire postseason fool
As I been getting lots of emails about Christian Vazquez telling their stories. If u watch the playoffs he was not in those games.