The Cleveland Guardians settled the question of Stephen Vogt’s future last week, but new details show just how the situation played out behind the scenes. After the Seattle Mariners parted ways with manager Dan Wilson at the end of the regular season, reports quickly connected Vogt to the opening. Vogt served as Seattle’s bullpen coach in 2023, and he and his family live full time in Olympia, Washington, so the link made plenty of sense. Vogt ended the speculation himself during his end of season press conference, saying he is coming back to Cleveland.
Now MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer has reported that Cleveland would have let Vogt look into the job, but the manager made his choice right away, as “he quickly quashed it and preferred to stay in Cleveland.”
“One source said that the Guardians were open to allowing Vogt to explore the opportunity with the Mariners, but he quickly quashed it and preferred to stay in Cleveland. Antonetti told reporters last week that the Mariners did not reach out to inquire about Vogt,” Kramer wrote.
Kramer cited a source who said the Guardians were open to allowing Vogt to explore the opportunity with the Mariners. He also noted that president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters last week that Seattle never actually reached out to ask about Vogt.
It is a revealing detail. Managers under contract are rarely allowed to talk with other teams, and Vogt is signed for next season and beyond after quietly agreeing to an extension following his first year in Cleveland. The fact that the Guardians were willing to give him room to consider a job near his home says a lot about the respect the organization has for him. Vogt has said that being away from his wife and kids for long stretches is the hardest part of the job, and Cleveland appears to have recognized that.
That does not mean the Guardians wanted him gone. Antonetti said last week that he expects Vogt to manage in Cleveland for a long time and that the team has no interest in him managing anywhere else. He praised Vogt as an extraordinary leader who connects with players, prepares relentlessly and keeps pushing the organization to get better.
In the end, Vogt made the decision easy. In three seasons since replacing Terry Francona, he has led Cleveland to three straight AL Central titles and two trips to the American League Championship Series, and he has won American League Manager of the Year twice. This year, he guided the Guardians back from a 70-70 record in early September to win the division, then led them to the first comeback from a 2-0 postseason series deficit in franchise history. He said this group felt different and that it had the belief it could win.
Seattle has moved on with its search. According to Kramer, the Mariners are holding in person interviews this week with former Astros manager Joe Espada and Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler at T-Mobile Park. Former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who had been viewed as the frontrunner, withdrew from consideration over the weekend for family reasons, while Brandon Hyde and White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven are no longer in the running. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said there is no set timeline for a decision.
For Cleveland, the story is a reassuring one. The Guardians head into a busy offseason with questions about Steven Kwan, Jo Adell and the lineup, but the manager is not one of them. Vogt had a chance to look elsewhere, and he chose to stay.
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