Replacing Terry Francona is not an easy task.
For health-related reasons, Tito was forced to retire after the 2023 campaign.
He is, to this date, the winningest manager in franchise history with 921 victories since taking over in 2013.
He came very close to actually winning a World Series and kept the Cleveland Guardians competitive for more than a decade.
But all good things come to an end, and now the franchise is forced to replace him.
Stephen Vogt, a former major league catcher who had been acting as a coach with the Seattle Mariners, looked like the prime candidate to take over as recently as last week, but a deal hasn’t materialized.
While Vogt might still be the favorite, there is a name in MLB that is high on everybody’s wishlists: Craig Counsell.
Counsell has been very successful with the Milwaukee Brewers since 2015, and it looks like multiple teams are looking to pry him away.
The New York Mets are one of them, but the Guardians are doing their due diligence too.
“Craig Counsell is in Cleveland to meet with the Guardians about their managerial opening, league sources tell @WillSammon and me,” Guardians insider Zack Meisel tweeted.
Craig Counsell is in Cleveland to meet with the Guardians about their managerial opening, league sources tell @WillSammon and me.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 30, 2023
Counsell has a 707-625 record in Milwaukee, with a .531 winning percentage and five postseason appearances since 2018.
He reached as far as the National League Championship Series, which he lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A forward-thinking manager who is well versed in analytics, Counsell is a modern GM’s dream: that’s why everybody wants him.
He has proven he can do a lot with little resources.
Will the Guardians be able to come out on top and get his services?
Leave a Reply