The Seattle Mariners have started their search for a new manager, and one name that has surfaced is a familiar one in Cleveland: Stephen Vogt.
Seattle moved on from Dan Wilson after the club finished 76-86 in 2026, opening the door for a new leader in the Pacific Northwest. That search is already generating noise around Vogt, even as the Guardians prepare for their ALDS series this weekend.
Vogt’s path back into a dugout has been a fast one. After retiring from baseball following the 2022 season, he returned the next year as Seattle’s bullpen and quality control coach. Given his background as a catcher with more than 10 years of professional experience, the expectation was always that a managing job could be in his future.
Cleveland gave him that first shot in 2024, when he stepped in to replace Terry Francona. The Guardians were coming off a disappointing 2023 season in which they missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, and the outlook around the team entering Vogt’s first year was anything but optimistic.
Instead, Vogt quickly changed the story. In three seasons running the Guardians, he has guided them to three straight AL Central titles and compiled a 265-220 record. Cleveland has battled deep into its last two playoff appearances, and the organization is still chasing a championship in 2026.
For now, though, the chatter around Seattle is just that - chatter. Vogt signed a multi-year deal with Cleveland after the 2024 season, according to Jeff Passan, though the contract has not been made public. If the Mariners wanted to pry him away, they would likely need to trade for him, and that makes a serious push seem unlikely.
In Other News...
Guardians ALDS Picture Just Got More Complicated After Wild Card Opener
The Guardians ALDS path became a little clearer, and a little messier, after the White Sox opened their Wild Card Series with a 6-3 win over the Astros. Cleveland is waiting to see which opponent emerges for Saturdays Division Series start, and the result in Houston immediately adds another layer to the scouting work the Guardians already had in front of them.
Chicagos win means Cleveland now has to prepare for a series that could come with a different look on the mound than many expected, which matters in October as much as anything. The matchup, the pitching order and the way each club lines up its arms could all shape the opening games in a hurry, and the Guardians will be watching the rest of this series closely before the ALDS gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Finally Have A Real ALDS Opportunity If One Team Advances
The Guardians are lined up for a genuine ALDS chance, and they get the benefit of home-field advantage no matter which club emerges from the Houston Astros-Chicago White Sox series. Even though Cleveland dropped the regular-season matchups against both possible opponents, those meetings came before this group fully took shape, and the roster has changed enough since then to make those results feel less predictive than they once did.
What makes this setup so intriguing is how much better the Guardians look now than they did in those earlier head-to-heads. Key players have come back from injury, the roster has been strengthened by new additions, and the overall tone around the club has shifted as a result. Analysts around the team believe Cleveland is better positioned now to push either Houston or Chicago, which gives this waiting game a little more edge while the Division Series bracket plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Starter May Have Just Changed How Fans Remember Him
Matthew Boyds latest October outing did little to help the Cubs, as the former Guardians starter took the ball in their Wild Card Series game against the Padres and was hit hard in an 8-0 loss. He allowed four runs in four innings, with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts all sending balls out as San Diego seized control early and never let go.
The performance also adds another layer to Boyds still-unsettled future in Chicago, where his deal includes a mutual option for 2027. Those options are rarely exercised, so while he remains a familiar arm for Cubs fans to evaluate, the real question is how this start will fit into the broader view of his place with the club moving forward. [Read more 🡒]