The Cleveland Guardians named Stephen Vogt its next manager on Monday.
Vogt will replace Terry Francona, who retired after the 2023 season. Francona had been the manager of the Guardians since 2013 and led the team to a World Series appearance in 2016.
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Stephen Vogt #21 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Shea Langeliers #23 in the bottom of the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at RingCentral Coliseum on September 22, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The two-time All-Star who was on the Seattle Mariners’ coaching staff will now get a crack at the big job. Cleveland was 76-86 last season.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Stephen and his family to Northeast Ohio and to name him the next manager of the Cleveland Guardians,” Chris Antonetti, the team’s president of baseball operations, said in a statement. “Stephen earned a reputation as one of the best teammates in the game across his 16-year career as a player, and we’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him over the past several weeks.
“Stephen has thought critically about the type of leader and manager he wants to be. His deep care for others, his ability to build meaningful relationships with those around him, and his open-mindedness and curiosity make him an ideal fit to lead our club moving forward. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Stephen.”
Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (21) celebrates after scoring a run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on October 5, 2022, at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, CA. (Kiyoshi Mio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Vogt was a journeyman catcher who played for six teams over the course of his career from 2012 to 2022. He had two stints with the Oakland Athletics and then played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
Cleveland started off strong in 2023 but fell off over the course of the season. The Guardians made the postseason six times under Francona and only once before he took over between Manny Acta and Eric Wedge.
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Vogt was the Mariners’ bullpen and quality control coach in 2023 and the Guardians gig will be the first major league managerial job.