GLENDALE, Ariz. — Not that Miguel Vargas should add the weight of expectations on his shoulders or anything, but knowing the White Sox parted with Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech and Tommy Pham to land him and two prospects from the Dodgers in a three-team trade at the deadline last season, know that general manager Chris Getz would really like to see the third baseman succeed.
The same goes for everyone in camp, but Vargas batted .105 for the Sox after the deal and at times looked like a forlorn puppy a thousand miles removed from his former team as it marched toward a World Series championship while he was slogging along with one tumbling toward 121 losses.
But Vargas didn’t wallow in misery. He got to work during the offseason, added good weight — 20 pounds to be precise — and got stronger. He also adjusted a couple of things in his swing and is off to a good start this spring, batting .391/.464/.565 with a home run, double and only two strikeouts in 10 Cactus League games.
“His confidence was shot a little bit,” hitting coach Marcus Thames said.
“It was tough for him, man. As a former player, you feel really bad for a guy. You keep trying to help him … just letting him know on the back of his card in the minors, he always hit. So it’s tough for him going through it, but as a coaching staff we have to keep him positive and let him know it’s going to come. But we have to keep working.”
Vargas was losing weight and was 198 pounds when the season ended, but he’s about 220 now.
“I feel way stronger,” he said.
His confidence is also up there, “but that doesn’t mean I want to stop there,” he said.
“I want to keep going and be consistent at the plate and in the field.”
As Thames pointed out, in seven minor league seasons and 511 games in the Dodgers farm system, Vargas batted .308/.396/.493 with 67 homers, 13 triples and 143 doubles. So, as Thames said, success is not foreign. But as he struggled with the Sox, Vargas kept an eye on the Dodgers, for whom he played 30 games last season batting .239/.313/.423 with three homers.
“I’m happy for my teammates, I know how badly they wanted to win the World Series and important it was for them,” Vargas said. “Obviously me being part of that and getting traded here, all worth it. I’m in a really good spot right now, I love the people here and the more time I’m here the more comfortable I get with my team and coaches. I want to win a World Series too. We’re in a really good [rebuilding] spot right now I’m confident in the future we’re going to be there.”
Vargas misplayed a couple of ground balls in early Cactus League games, and he might be feeling different with more size. He says range “is one of the biggest challenges. Defense is very important.” He’s also playing some first base and can play the outfield. But he wants to excel at third base.
Vargas said he learned from the struggle of August and September.
“Don’t let myself go down,” he said, “and be positive the whole time. It’s 162 games a long season and you have to be locked in. That is one of my biggest challenges.”
Infielders Jeral Perez and infielder Alexander Albertus came with Vargas in the deal, Perez batting .259/.344/.431 with two homers in 30 games for Low-A Kannapolis and holding a No. 20 ranking among Sox prospects per MLB Pipeline.
Vargas, though, will be the Sox’ primary third baseman until further notice. Lessons learned from 2024 could help him stick.
“Sometimes we always want to chase the good results and you get frustrated when you’re working hard and they’re not coming,” Vargas said. “It’s a tough sport and you have to be mentally in a good spot and trust what you’re doing.”