It was headed toward being one of those ill-fated Mariners washout trades that people love to throw in their faces. Daniel Vogelbach could have joined the list of touted Seattle prospects who fizzle and fade and then quietly disappear.
But this story veered off that familiar course and took a sharp turn toward redemption – on multiple fronts. Vogelbach will be in Cleveland for next Tuesday’s All-Star Game, having been selected as the Mariners’ lone representative. And it was more than just a token selection because of a Major League Baseball rule that says each team must be represented; he earned it.