Stephen Vogt, who in 2022 was a catcher for the Oakland A’s, is the new manager of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Guardians made the announcement around 11:30 a.m. Nov. 6 and plan to introduce Vogt at a news conference on Nov. 10. At 39 he will be the youngest manager in the American League and the second youngest manager in the Majors. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is 37.
Craig Counsell, who interviewed with the Guardians, was announced as the Cubs’ new manager. According to the Associated Press, Counsell received a $40 million contract over five years to move to Chicago from Milwaukee.
Vogt was the bullpen coach and quality control coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2023 in his first and only season in coaching before making the jump to Guardians manager. Vogt is the 45th manager in the history of the franchise. He and his wife, Alyssa, have three children.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Stephen and his family to Northeast Ohio and to name him the next manager of the Cleveland Guardians,” President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti 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.”
It is no surprise that Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff went outside the Guardians organization to find Francona’s replacement. As successful as the team was in Francona’s 11 seasons — nine seasons finishing over .500, six playoffs and one World Series appearance — Antonetti was looking for a leader with a fresh perspective and approach to leading a team.
“I really love being a coach,” Vogt told the San Francisco Chronicle in May. “I love being around the game, I love just being available for people. It hasn’t been all that difficult a transition.
“Being a backup catcher your last few years, you have that player-coach kind of mentality. Now I just don’t have to face major-league pitching anymore, and I’m really excited about that. But the transition has been very, very smooth.”
Many current or former managers were catchers as players, including Bruce Bochty, manager of the recently crowned World Series champion Texas Rangers. Kevin Cash, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, and A.J. Hinch, manager of the Detroit Tigers, were managers. So was former Yankees manager Joe Torre. Managing is a logical step for former catchers because they are like in-game managers while playing.
Vogt was a 12th-round draft pick by the Rays in 2012. His career spanned 12 seasons. He played for the Rays, Giants, A’s, Diamondbacks, Braves and Brewers and retired with a lifetime batting average of .239. He played in 70 games in 2022 with the A’s.
