Longtime major league catcher Stephen Vogt has emerged as a serious candidate for the Cleveland Guardians‘ managerial job a little over a year after he retired from playing, sources told ESPN.
Vogt, 38, is currently a coach with the Seattle Mariners and had already interviewed for the San Francisco Giants‘ open managerial job, which could soon be filled by San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin, who was granted permission to talk with the division rival. Vogt will have an in-person interview with the Guardians this week, sources said.
Following the retirement of manager Terry Francona after 11 seasons and six playoff appearances, Cleveland has considered a range of external candidates — Giants bullpen coach Craig Albernaz, New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza and Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough — and internal — field coordinator John McDonald, hitting coach Chris Valaika and farm director Rob Cerfolio.
Vogt didn’t debut in the major leagues until he was 27 but carved out a decade-long career because of his catching acumen and reputation as a dynamic clubhouse leader. After five years with the Oakland Athletics that included a pair of All-Star selections, Vogt bounced around, going from Milwaukee to San Francisco to Arizona to Atlanta before returning to Oakland, where he finished his career and hit a home run in his final at-bat.
Executives pegged Vogt as a future manager while he was still playing. His ability to connect with players — and loosen up a group with his sense of humor — combined with his knowledge of the game from playing catcher made him an intriguing candidate, especially for a job like Cleveland’s.
While the Guardians struggled to a 76-86 finish in the dreadful American League Central division, the arrival and immediate success of rookie pitchers Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen furthered hope for a quick turnaround.
Cleveland’s offense scored the fourth-fewest runs in Major League Baseball this year, and the Guardians could trade one of their starting pitchers — potentially ace Shane Bieber or veteran Cal Quantrill — to address the deficiencies.
