Hot Potato Virgil Vasquez On the Move Again

Remember when Virgil Vasquez was a rising star in the Tigers farm system? A great showing in the 2006 Arizona Fall League seemed to put him on the fast track.

Not so much. After some unremarkable appearances in 2007 with the big club he seemed to have fallen out of favor. At Toledo in 2008 he went 12-12 with a 4.81 ERA, with 115 strikeouts and 37 walks. You’d have thought those stats would be worthy of a September call up, but they weren’t.

Vasquez was claimed off waivers last fall by the Red Sox only to be claimed shortly thereafter by the Padres — a team that, one would expect, needs all that talent it can find. Today, he’s on the move again and this time back East to the Pirates, another team with a talent shortage.

The guy must have some value. Just wonder where he’ll end up next: Marlins or Mariners?