Christian Vazquez merely an AL-only option
The Red Sox have been giving Brandon Workman and Rubby De La Rosa some looks in the rotation, and now they have decided to inject some youth on the other end of the battery. They promoted catcher Christian Vazquez from Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday, and he will ostensibly get the bulk of the playing time in the aftermath of A.J. Pierzynski getting designated for assignment.
It's Vazquez's defensive skills that likely earned him the promotion, but he does show some promise with the bat. He has demonstrated an ability to make contact and draw walks, though those skills hadn't translated all that well to Triple-A Pawtucket. Vazquez will be hard pressed to replicate his .279 batting average from Pawtucket in the majors, and with little power or speed, he will need to at least come close to have value even in deeper Fantasy formats.
If you need a replacement for, say, Joe Mauer or Pierzynski in an AL-only league, Vazquez will probably be your best waiver option, just on the promise of frequent playing time alone. In mixed league formats, though, you can almost certainly find several more promising options. Owners in dynasty leagues should keep in mind Vazquez's long-term potential as an on-base threat, even if he struggles in his initial exposure to major league pitching.
