Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Vargas was outrighted to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.
Vargas spent time with the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Pirates during the 2021 campaign and hit .156 with four extra-base hits, seven runs, seven RBI and a stolen base in 34 appearances. The 30-year-old will lose his spot on the 40-man roster, and whether he remains in the organization next year remains to be seen.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Starts for ailing Ahmed
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Vargas started at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with a double in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to Atlanta.
Vargas got the start at short in place of Nick Ahmed, who has missed the last four games with a sore right shoulder, a bit of news that Arizona manager Torey Lovullo revealed Tuesday. In Ahmed's absence, Josh Rojas started three games prior to Vargas' start.
The Diamondbacks selected Vargas from Triple-A Reno on Sunday.
Vargas hasn't appeared at the MLB level since June 18, at which point he had managed a .137/.200/.176 slash line in 55 plate appearances with the Cubs, Pirates and Diamondbacks. He figures to serve as additional infield depth for however long he's on the big-league roster.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Clears waivers
Rotowire
Vargas has been outrighted to Triple-A Reno after clearing waivers, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.
Vargas has slashed a terrible .137/.200/.176 across 55 major-league plate appearances with the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Pirates this season. He didn't attract any interest on waivers after being DFA'd by Arizona on Saturday, so he'll continue to provide the club infield depth at Reno for the time being.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Vargas has already been designated for assignment three previous times this season. He cleared waivers the first time after getting dropped from the Cubs' 40-man roster in late March but was picked up by the Pirates after the Cubs DFA'd him again in mid-May. He lasted less than two weeks in Pittsburgh before being DFA'd yet again and traded to the Diamondbacks. It seems that teams like him enough to keep him around for a few weeks on the end of their bench, so it's possible he'll get claimed yet again this time around. The move clears a spot for the Diamondbacks to add the newly-signed Jake Faria.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Produces three RBI
Rotowire
Vargas went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Mets.
The 29-year-old's first multi-hit effort of the season directly accounted for half of Arizona's runs. Vargas knocked in a pair on a single in the first inning and then added a game-tying RBI single in the sixth. He's slashing a meager .158/.220/.211 with no home runs, six RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in 41 plate appearances between Arizona, Pittsburgh and Chicago this year. He'll likely fill a utility role now that he's begun his second stint with Arizona.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Returns to desert
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks acquired Vargas from the Pirates on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.
Vargas doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so the Diamondbacks will clear room for him on the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster by designating infielder Domingo Leyba for assignment. Like Leyba before him, Vargas will likely be in store for a limited role as a utility option off the bench. The 29-year-old appeared in parts of his first four seasons in the big leagues with Arizona, but he's bounced around between three other organizations over the past two years.
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Pirates' Ildemaro Vargas: DFA'd by Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Pirates nearly two weeks ago and went 1-for-13 in seven appearances. Vargas began the season with the Cubs and went 3-for-21 before being DFA'd. He could remain in the Pirates organization should he go unclaimed on waivers.
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Pirates' Ildemaro Vargas: Claimed by Pirates
Rotowire
Vargas was claimed off waivers by the Pirates on Monday.
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Saturday, and he'll remain in the NL Central going forward. The 29-year-old served as a depth option for Chicago this year, and he should serve in a depth role for the Pirates after Troy Stokes was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Saturday.
Vargas had served as a depth option since early May but is no longer needed now that Ian Happ (ribs) is back from the injured list. Vargas didn't do much with his infrequent opportunities, posting a .488 OPS in 24 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Picks up Sunday start
Rotowire
Vargas is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Javier Baez left Saturday's game with back tightness, so the Cubs are giving him Sunday off and starting Vargas at shortstop. The latter has played in six games since getting recalled earlier in the week, and he's gone 1-for-9 so far with a stolen base and two runs scored. Vargas should head back to the bench whenever Baez is able to rejoin the lineup.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Recalled, starting
Rotowire
Vargas was recalled by the Cubs and will bat eighth and play second base in the first half of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers.
Vargas spent three days in the big leagues in mid-April, going 0-for-2 in a pair of appearances off the bench. With a career .252/.280/.388 slash line, Vargas is unlikely to find himself in the lineup on a regular basis during his time with the team.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Sent to alternate training site
Rotowire
Vargas was optioned to the alternate training site Friday.
Vargas had his contract selected by the Cubs earlier in the week and went 0-for-2 in two appearances off the bench during his brief time with the team. Matt Duffy was activated from the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Contract selected by Cubs
Rotowire
Vargas' contract was selected by the Cubs on Tuesday.
Vargas failed to win an Opening Day roster spot despite a strong camp and was designated for assignment, but he passed through waivers unclaimed and won't wind up waiting long for his first opportunity. With a career .254/.282/.391 slash line in 298 MLB plate appearances, he's unlikely to play a major role during his time with the team, but he'll give the Cubs depth around the diamond. Matt Duffy landed on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Clears waivers
Rotowire
Vargas cleared waivers Wednesday and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Cubs after missing out on a spot on the team's Opening Day roster. However, Chicago hoped to keep him in the organization, and he'll report to the team's alternate camp in South Bend to begin the season. The 29-year-old appeared in 17 Cactus League games this spring and slashed .324/.343/.471 with one home run and five RBI.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Misses out on roster
Rotowire
Vargas was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Sunday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Vargas was vying for a bench role with the Cubs, but non-roster invitees Matt Duffy and Eric Sogard both earned roster spots Sunday, pushing Vargas out of the mix. The 29-year-old infielder now may end up with a new team or join the Chicago minor-league system, likely at Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Playing well this spring
Rotowire
Vargas is slashing .344/.364/.500 through 32 Cactus League at-bats with a home run, a steal and five RBI.
Vargas has done well in his competition with Nico Hoerner and David Bote for the everyday role at second base. Eric Sogard is also in the mix, and it's unlikely that the Cubs will be able to keep everyone when they break camp. Vargas slashed .196/.222/.314 last season across 24 games with the Cubs, Diamondbacks and Twins.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Likely to fill utility role
Rotowire
Vargas will be competing for the starting job at second base this spring but will likely fill a bench role, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Vargas will compete with David Bote and Nico Hoerner for the starting job at second base, but the former will most likely serve as a utility infielder. That doesn't give Vargas a ton of fantasy appeal, especially after posting a .196/.222/.314 line in 2020, but he could be an injury or two away from more regular at-bats.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Returns for postseason
Rotowire
The Cubs activated Vargas (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The utility man will be up with the Cubs for their wild-card series with the Marlins, which begins Wednesday. Before his regular season came to an end when he was placed on the IL on Sept. 21 with a right hamstring strain, Vargas slashed .196/.222/.314 in 54 plate appearances across stints with the Diamondbacks, Twins and Cubs.
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Cubs' Ildemaro Vargas: Could make postseason roster
Rotowire
Vargas (hamstring) could be included on the Cubs' postseason roster, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Vargas was sidelined for the final week of the regular season, but manager David Ross said Tuesday that he could return for the postseason. If Vargas is included on the roster, he'd serve as middle-infield depth after slashing .196/.222/.314 with three RBI over 51 at-bats with the Diamondbacks, Twins and Cubs during the regular season.
