Stephen Vogt Hired by Guardians to Replace Terry Francona as Manager

The Cleveland Guardianshired Stephen Vogt their next manager after Terry Francona stepped down at the end of the 2023 MLB season.

Soon after Cleveland wrapped up a disappointing 76-86 season, Francona announced he was stepping down after 11 years. The 64-year-old didn't officially use the word "retired" as part of his announcement to leave the door open for a possible return to the dugout in the future.

Francona's decision had been hinted at for weeks leading up to the end of the regular season. He began talking about it publicly in August, saying he wanted to be fair to the organization and players in being able to give them the full attention they deserved.

Replacing Francona in Cleveland won't be an easy task for anyone. He's the franchise's all-time leader in wins (921), led the team to six playoff appearances, four AL Central division titles and was named AL Manager of the Year three times (2013, 2016 and 2022).

Despite the team's struggles in 2023, there is a foundation of talent in place for the Guardians to be a competitive team next season.

José Ramírez is a five-time All-Star and has posted three consecutive 20-20 seasons. Josh Naylor had his best season with a .308/.354/.489 slash line. Rookie catcher Bo Naylor overcame a slow start to hit .237/.339/.470 in 67 games.

The rotation has an excellent young trio with Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams. A full season from Triston McKenzie would give them four high-quality starters. Shane Bieber's future with the team is unclear coming off an injury-plagued 2023 and going into his final year of arbitration.

If the Guardians can add more power to their lineup with one or two notable moves in the offseason, they should be able to compete with the Minnesota Twins and ascending Detroit Tigers in what has been a soft division for a number of years.

Vogt will be tasked with putting all of the pieces together on the field for Cleveland. The 39-year-old had a 10-year playing career with six different teams, highlighted by his first run with the Oakland Athletics when he was named an All-Star in 2015 and 2016.

Following his retirement as a player after the 2022 season, Vogt was hired as the bullpen coach for the Seattle Mariners. He quickly emerged as a managerial candidate when he interviewed with the San Francisco Giants before they decided to hire Bob Melvin.

This will be the first managerial job for Vogt, but his reputation as a player and coach suggests he will have a smooth transition into his new role.

Vogt has big shoes to fill because Francona had the Guardians competitive for most of the past decade, but the foundation of talent in place between the roster and front office suggests he will have plenty of smart people around to help him navigate any initial struggles as he gets his feet wet.