Nearly two weeks after the Seattle Mariners moved on from Dan Wilson, the club still hasn’t shown much visible progress in its search for a new manager. That’s not especially shocking. Jerry Dipoto already signaled this would be a wide-ranging process, and some of the names that might fit are still tied up in playoff baseball.
One of those names, at least as a talking point, is Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.
Vogt’s candidacy is still a long shot right now, but he’s the one figure drawing some buzz around the Mariners’ opening. He’s only 41, and his baseball résumé is already packed.
As a player, he was a two-time All-Star and spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves. Over his career, he hit .239 with 82 home runs, and he made the All-Star team in 2015 and 2016.
As a manager, he’s already put together a strong start: 265-220 across three regular seasons. He’s also the current skipper in Cleveland, where he reportedly signed a contract extension before the 2025 season.
That matters, because it means Seattle couldn’t simply hire him away. The Mariners would have to trade for him, much like they once dealt Lou Piniella to the Rays.
And because Vogt is under contract, the Guardians would have the power to reject any approach.
Whether Vogt would even want the job is another question entirely.
There are reasons the fit makes at least some sense. He has worked for the Mariners before, and Seattle has worked with him.
He also makes his offseason home in Washington, and his wife is from Olympia. On top of that, Cleveland’s situation could factor into the equation: the Guardians have not reached the World Series during Vogt’s time there and are regularly near the bottom of the league in payroll.
If he feels like he’s hit the ceiling in Cleveland, a move might become more realistic.
For now, though, the timing is still tied to the postseason. The Guardians are locked in a 2-2 tie with the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series.
If Cleveland loses, a departure could become easier to imagine. But as things stand, it remains just that - imagination.
ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney addressed the possibility on the latest “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast and said: "I mean, it doesn't hurt to call. You ask for permission.
I'm sure that would lead Chris Antonetti, who's the head of baseball operations for the Guardians, to go down and have a conversation with Stephen Vogt, either to explain why he told the Mariners to go take a flying leap, depending on how he feels about it, or basically feeling out Stephen Vogt saying 'hey, what do you want in your career?' I don't know which way Chris would go on that.
I know this: the gold standard in the sport right now for hiring, people always look at the Rays, the Guardians and the Brewers. And Stephen Vogt was someone who's extremely valued in the Cleveland organization."
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