Sources told ESPN that Vogt was signed to a three-year deal, and Vogt will be introduced to the media on Friday, November 10.
Vogt becomes 47th Cleveland Guardians Manager
Vogt becomes the 47th man to manage Cleveland and replaces a future Hall of Famer in Francona. He spent 10 Big League seasons as a catcher with the Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Atlanta Braves.
The two-time All-Star spent the 2023 season working for the Seattle Mariners, but the 39-year-old former catcher has no experience as a manager anywhere. Chris Antonetti, the Guardians’ president of baseball operations, had this to say about his new hire in a statement issued by the Guardians.
“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.”
Francona’s Hall of Fame Career
The retired skipper led the Guardians to a 921-757 record over 11 seasons as manager of the Tribe. He finished his 23-year managerial career with a record of 1950-1672 and won World Championships in 2004 and 2007 as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
How Does this Affect the Cleveland Guardians Championship Odds?
The Guardians are a +5000 underdog to win the 2024 World Series and +2500 to win the American League Pennant at BetMGM Ohio. Those are huge odds for a team that sold off some important pieces at the trade deadline and finished the 2023 season third in the American League Central with a 76-86 mark.
Vogt inherits a pretty good pitching staff and has one of the best closers in the game in Emmanuel Clase’. He also has All-Star 3B Jose Ramirez and All-Star 1B Josh Naylor, which at least gives Vogt a good starting point.
Despite having one of the best hitters in the game, the Guardians finished seventh in the American League in batting average but scored the 12th-fewest runs, making it difficult for them to win games.
+5000 is a good price, but I would wait and see what moves Cleveland makes in the offseason. They need at least one more power-hitting outfielder and some bullpen help. If the Guardians can fill the gaping holes in their lineup, they might be a good bet to win the American League Pennant.
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