Just when White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas was earning plaudits for his work at third base, a new challenge arose.
The Sox’ decision Friday to send first basemen Andrew Vaughn and Tim Elko down to Triple-A Charlotte meant an open position on the diamond, one team brass will use Vargas — along with infielder Lenyn Sosa — to fill. The plan, according to manager Will Venable, is to play Vargas there against right-handers and shift him back to third base against lefties, with Sosa sliding to first on those days.
‘‘He’s a guy that’s capable of playing multiple positions and not skipping a beat,’’ Venable said. ‘‘I understand the value of sticking in one spot and getting comfortable. At the same time, it’s really valuable to be able to play multiple positions well. And he does that.’’
For his part, Vargas is down for whatever.
‘‘I’m a third baseman,’’ he told the Sun-Times on Saturday. ‘‘But any time there’s this type of situation and I can help the team, I’m more than glad to do it.’’
Versatility indeed is a good thing, something that is often praised and allows guys to keep big-league jobs. But this reminder of Vargas’ versatility, in particular, is perhaps a relatively unwanted one — for the fan base, anyway — considering how much he has flourished this season while getting consistent work as the Sox’ everyday third baseman.
After joining the Sox in a three-team swap at the trade deadline last summer, Vargas played a host of positions in the infield and outfield. He was definitively unimpressive, with horrid offensive numbers — he hit .104 in 42 games — and regular miscues in the field.
This season has been a completely different story, especially lately. In his last 14 games, Vargas has four home runs, five doubles and an .887 OPS. That includes two hits, including a double, and a run scored in the Sox’ 10-5 victory Saturday against the Rangers. All four of those homers came on the Sox’ recent road trip against the Reds and Cubs, and Vargas earned American League Player of the Week honors for his work.
At the same time, Vargas’ defense at third has been excellent. All told, he has looked like a wildly different player from the one who had fans bemoaning general manager Chris Getz’s trade last season.
‘‘This is the player we envisioned,’’ Getz said Friday. ‘‘Truthfully, his defense has been better than we thought. We thought he could be a solid defender, but he’s proved to be a really reliable defender, made some great plays over there. . . . But most important, his offensive production has really come alive, and he’s a real threat at the plate.
‘‘We’re excited for him. What a great way to reward a guy that has been working his butt off, with a Player of the Week award. . . . There’s going to be more adjustments along the way, just because that’s baseball, but [we’re] really proud of what he’s accomplished thus far.’’
Team brass credits Vargas for making an effective mechanical adjustment at the plate. Vargas chalks up his turnaround to consistency in everything he does, be that with his work in the batting cage or readiness at third.
After maybe trying to do too much in making a first impression last season, he’s focused on that old sports cliché: controlling what he can control.
And after looking like a potentially regrettable acquisition for the Sox last summer, Vargas suddenly has earned his place in their long-term plans, just as Getz and the front office had hoped.
‘‘We’re all here trying to prove what we can do in this league,’’ Vargas said. ‘‘We all try to prove that we can be here for a long time. Obviously, I want to be here. I love the organization, and I want to be here.
‘‘Being consistent is the big key, and I’m trying to do that every day.’’