Stephen Vogt Names Guardians Player Who Could Be A Future Manager

Stephen Vogt knows a thing or two about going from the clubhouse to the manager’s office. The Guardians skipper retired as a player after the 2022 season, spent one year on Seattle’s coaching staff and was managing Cleveland by 2024. He has since won two AL Manager of the Year awards and three straight division titles. So when Vogt joined MLB Network’s Intentional Talk this week and was asked which current player could follow that same path, his answer carried some weight. He named veteran catcher Austin Hedges, saying, “He brings so much energy. He brings so much joy.”

“Austin Hedges is such a great personality. He brings so much energy. He brings so much joy. He’s always got something to get the boys going, so Hedgey’s definitely right up there [as a future manager],” Vogt said.

All-time IT guest Stephen Vogt joins the show!

The @CleGuardians manager discusses his offseason and which player in the clubhouse could be a future manager 👀

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— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) November 4, 2026

Vogt went on to praise Hedges’ personality and said the catcher always has something ready to fire up his teammates. He made it clear that Hedges is right near the top of his list of players who could one day run a big league dugout.

Anyone who has followed the Guardians over the last few years will not be surprised. Hedges has been one of the most respected voices in Cleveland’s clubhouse, and his impact goes well beyond the box score. Back in April, after Cleveland took two of three from the Dodgers to open the season, he reminded the room that people count the Guardians out every year.  Chase DeLauter also named Hedges as one of the veterans he goes to for advice.

There is a reason catchers so often become managers. They call games, manage pitching staffs and see the entire field on every pitch. Vogt himself was a catcher, and plenty of current managers spent their playing careers behind the plate. Hedges has built his whole career on defense and game calling, and he has worked with some of the best pitching staffs in baseball in San Diego, Cleveland and Texas. He also won a World Series ring with the Rangers in 2023.

The question now is where Hedges will play next season. He is a free agent after hitting .247 with six home runs, 25 RBIs and a career-best 99 OPS+ in 78 games. At thirty-four, he is still a strong defender, and his value to a young roster is obvious. Cleveland brought him back on a one-year, $4 million deal last winter, and a similar contract would make plenty of sense again.

Vogt’s comments show how much the organization values what Hedges brings. Whether his next role is backup catcher in Cleveland or manager somewhere down the road, it is clear he has made a lasting impression on the man running the Guardians’ dugout.