CLEVELAND, Ohio (WKBN) – The Cleveland Guardians have officially hired former Major League catcher Stephen Vogt as the 45th manager in franchise history.
ESPN is reporting that Vogt agreed to a three-year deal with Cleveland.
The 38-year-old spent last season as bullpen and quality control coach with the Seattle Mariners. He has no prior managerial experience.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Stephen and his family to Northeast Ohio and to name him the next manager of the Cleveland Guardians,” said Chris Antonetti, President of Baseball Operations. “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.”
Chris Antonetti, Guardians’ President of Baseball Operations
Vogt retired as a player just over a year ago after spending 10 years in the Major Leagues. During his playing career, he played for the Rays, Athletics, Brewers, Giants, Diamondbacks and Braves.
The Visallia, California native was named an All-Star in 2015 and 2016 while playing for Oakland. He was also a member of the 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves.
He posted a career batting average of .239, with 82 home runs and 313 RBIs.
Vogt replaces Terry Francona who recently retired after leading Cleveland for 11 seasons and six playoff appearances. He is the winningest manager in club history.
Cleveland also interviewed Craig Counsell and Carlos Mendoza for the position.
