Athletics designate 2-time All-Star Vogt for assignment

The Oakland Athletics are heading in a new direction behind the plate.

Two-time All-Star catcher and fan favorite Stephen Vogt was designated for assignment Thursday in a surprising move accompanied by the promotion of catching prospect Bruce Maxwell.

"I understand the state the organization is in," Vogt said, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. They're moving on. No ill will, harsh words. I stuck around 4 years, I got my degree."

Vogt, an impending free agent, had spent the last five seasons with the Athletics and is coming off back-to-back trips to the Midsummer Classic. He is in the midst of a down season offensively, hitting .217/.287/.357 with four home runs, eight doubles, and 31 strikeouts in 54 games.

"I'm a baseball player. I'm really good," Vogt said. "The person I've shown the last couple of months is not who I am."

Maxwell hit .286/.344/.464 with two home runs in 25 games in Triple-A this season, and .211/.318/.211 with no extra-base hits in 19 at-bats with the Athletics during an earlier call-up.

It's the second time in June that the Athletics have parted ways with a veteran player. They traded third baseman Trevor Plouffe to the Tampa Bay Rays last week.