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Oakland Athletics Designate Stephen Vogt For Assignment

By Joey Lopez

Jun 20, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (21) after a Houston Astros run during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (21) after a Houston Astros run during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oakland Athletics no longer believe in Stephen Vogt. The A’s designated the fan favorite for assignment on Thursday.

The Oakland Athletics continue their youth movement, as fan favorite Stephen Vogt was shown the door on Thursday.

The A’s announced on Thursday that Vogt was designated for assignment. The team called up Bruce Maxwell from Triple A Nashville to share catching duties with Josh Phegley.

The decision to cut ties with Vogt isn’t surprising, but it does come with a bit of disappointment.

Vogt has been a popular player not only on the field, but in the clubhouse as well. His walk off single in Game 2 of the 2013 ALDS remains one the more exciting moments in A’s history.

He also represented the A’s twice as an All-Star. For a journeyman catcher, Vogt defied plenty of odds to stick around for four years in Oakland.

The youth movement, however, has finally taken off and the A’s are gearing up for the future.

Vogt struggled this season at the plate hitting only .217/.287/.307 with 4 HR and 12 RBI.

Chants of “We Believe In Stephen Vogt” have continued this season despite the disappointing results, demonstrating Vigt’s popularity.

The A’s will now place their faith in a Phegley-Maxwell combo behind the plate. Phelgley has already been splitting time with Vogt, so it’ll be up to Maxwell to make an adjustment.

Maxwell has seen some action this year in Oakland, appearing in nine games. He hit .211 over 19 at-bats. He did see some success in 2016 when he hit .283 through 33 games.

The youth movement will likely continue in Oakland. The team will look to deal Sonny Gray, Jed Lowrie, Yonder Alonso and possibly bullpen veterans Ryan Madison and Santiago Casilla.

Vogt’s time in Oakland was highly unique and special for a lot of fans. The end of his run hasn’t been as pretty, but there are plenty of memories left behind to cherish.