The Twins announced that they have purchased switch-hitting utility infiltrator Ildemaro Vargas of the Diamondbacks for cash. Minnesota will create a 28-man shed to meet Vargas’ activation at a later date. Arizona appointed Vargas for assignment late last week.
Vargas, 29, has a strong Triple-A track record on the plate and a lot of versatility, seeing as he is a switch-hitter with over 1000 innings of experience on each of shortstop, second base and third base. Vargas has also seen time on all three outfield spots and first base, though only a few play values of innings on each slot.
Despite the versatility, however, the production of Vargas from Triple-A has not really been transferred to the Majors. He is a career .326 / .371 / .464 hitter at the top minor league level, but has just mustered a .257 / .287 / .357 slash in the Majors. However, he hasn’t seen much at the level of the big league with the D-backs, however, often the Twins feel he can flourish with a little more playing time. Then again, the Twins already have a lot of infield options themselves, so playing time could continue to get tricky. Vargas also has fewer options for league, so the twins can not send him to their alternative training site in St. Louis. Paul, unless they appoint him for assignment himself and Vargas does not then follow up on exemptions.
