The Cleveland Guardians announced on Monday that they are hiring former All-Star catcher Stephen Vogt to be their new manager. Vogt will replace Guardians’ longtime manager Terry Francona, who stepped down from his position at the end of the 2023 campaign.
Vogt has reportedly signed a three-year deal with Cleveland. It will be his first managerial job at any level.
The Guardians interviewed several candidates for their managerial vacancy in recent weeks, including ex-Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell and New York Yankees’ bench coach Carlos Mendoza. However, Vogt made a strong impression during the process despite his lack of experience and ended up landing the job.
“Stephen has thought critically about the type of leader and manager he wants to be,” said Chris Antonetti, the Guardians’ president of baseball operations, in a statement. “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.”
Stephen Vogt played 10 years in the MLB for seven different franchises, including the Oakland Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks, before retiring after the 2022 season. He immediately transitioned to coaching, serving as bullpen and quality control coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2023.
