MESA, Ariz. -- Do you believe? The A¡¯s still do.
Reuniting with a familiar face, the A¡¯s agreed to terms on a Major League deal with free-agent catcher Stephen Vogt, the club announced on Thursday.
Vogt, 37, is fresh off a championship with the Braves, as he was part of their World Series-winning club in 2021 as a midseason acquisition. Also spending time with the D-backs last season, he hit .195 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in a combined 78 games with Arizona and Atlanta.
The veteran of nine big league seasons enjoyed his best years in Oakland, where over a five-year period he was a two-time All-Star and starred on A¡¯s teams that reached the playoffs in 2013-14.
It¡¯s unclear at this point what Vogt¡¯s role will be in his return. The A¡¯s were projected to enter the season with Sean Murphy as their primary catcher and Austin Allen as his backup. Murphy remains entrenched as the starter, though Vogt¡¯s veteran experience and leadership could be well served on a club that recently lost a trio of clubhouse leaders by trading away Chris Bassitt, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson earlier this month.
Of all the players to don the green and gold over the past decade, few have resonated with the A¡¯s fans quite like Vogt. He was popular enough that the passionate fans in the Oakland Coliseum bleachers created the ¡°I believe in Stephen Vogt¡± chant during his first stint with the club from 2013-17. You can expect those cheers to once again emanate from the bleachers upon his return.