Stephen Vogt’s name is already in the mix for Seattle’s vacant manager job, and that alone is enough to put the Guardians on alert.
The Mariners moved on from Dan Wilson on Sunday after a 76-86 season, a stunning turn after Wilson had helped push Seattle to within one game of the World Series in 2025. That kind of swing from near the top to a losing record has Seattle’s front office looking for a big-name answer, and Vogt is among the candidates drawing attention.
The connection is easy to see. Vogt spent the 2023 season as Seattle’s bullpen coach, and he lives in Washington with his family during the offseason. Seattle also had interest in moving him into its bench coach role in 2024 before Cleveland hired him to run the Guardians.
That history makes him look like a familiar target for the Mariners, but prying him away would be a different story. Vogt is believed to be under contract through the 2027 season. While managerial deals are rarely public, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported last offseason that Vogt signed a multi-year contract after the 2024 season, and The Athletic’s Zack Mesiel said Vogt is going to be in Cleveland for a long time.
So if Seattle really wanted him, the path would likely have to involve a trade - something that has happened only three times in MLB history. The Mariners have done it before, too, when they traded All-Star Randy Winn to the Rays for Lou Piniella in 2002.
For Cleveland, the important part is what Vogt has already done since replacing Terry Francona. He has guided the Guardians to three straight postseason trips, with the 2025 and 2026 finishes standing out for the wild way those seasons ended. That run is a big reason his name keeps carrying weight around the league.
Seattle could also look at another piece of Vogt’s staff. Bench coach Tony Arnerich, who is in his first season in Cleveland after four years on the Mariners’ big league coaching staff, is one possible route back into Vogt’s coaching tree.
Vogt may be staying put, but his name is going to keep surfacing as long as Seattle’s manager chair is open.
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Kahlil Watson is another player worth keeping an eye on as the club maps out its next wave. The young outfielder put together a strong minor league season and has already had a brief taste of the majors, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Cleveland looks ahead to 2027 and beyond. For a team that has made a habit of finding contributors in unexpected places, these are the kinds of forgotten names that can quickly become part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
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The encouraging part for Cleveland is that Williams did not fade as the schedule wore on. He sharpened in September, trimming his ERA and missing more bats while the Guardians were fighting for a playoff push, which only added to the sense that he was settling into the role they had been waiting for. For a club that has spent a lot of time searching for reliable rotation anchors, Williams just made the long view a little easier to picture. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Trade Deadline Looks Smarter As October Reality Hits Phillies
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Philadelphia offered a sharper contrast by unveiling its National League Wild Card Series roster without any of its deadline pickups, Caleb Kilian, Brooks Raley and Luis Arraez. Injuries have kept Kilian and Arraez out, while Raley was left off after a difficult stretch, a reminder that deadline deals can look good in July and much different by October. [Read more 🡒]