Brewers claim Stephen Vogt from Athletics

The Brewers have claimed catcher Stephen Vogt off waivers from the Athletics, as first reported by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. Vogt was designated for assignment last week.

Vogt, 32, struggled to a .217/.287/.357 line in 54 games with Oakland before being cut as part of the club’s effort to replace struggling veterans with younger players. Veteran third baseman Trevor Plouffe was also let go as the club called up Bruce Maxwell, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Franklin Barreto in recent weeks.

Vogt will join Manny Pina as backstop options for Milwaukee, with struggling catcher Jett Bandy likely heading to Triple-A. Vogt’s veteran leadership and clubhouse presence will be useful down the stretch for a young Milwaukee team that is a surprise contender in the NL Central.

Vogt is earning $2.97 million this season and is under Brewers control through the end of the 2019 campaign, so the club could hang onto him if he produces during the final three months of this season. The veteran is a two-time All-Star (2015, 2016) in six major-league seasons with Tampa Bay (2012) and Oakland (2013-17).

The move signifies an expected approach for Milwaukee as the trade deadline nears: general manager David Stearns will not be afraid to add veteran pieces to a contending group, but he’s unlikely to give up anything of significance for them. In this case, the acquisition cost not including any players likely led to the club deciding to buy.