Guardians Finally Replace Terry Francona With Risky Hire
By Tyler Maher
More than a month since Terry Francona managed the last game of his MLB career, the Cleveland Guardians have finally found someone to replace him.
Unfortunately, it isn't Craig Counsell. It's also someone on the total opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to experience.
We believe in Stephen Vogt.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) November 6, 2023
We have hired Stephen Vogt as the 45th manager in franchise history.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/OA9WfVy0Vr
Guardians New Manager
The Guardians have settled on Stephen Vogt, who has as much MLB managing experience as you and I put together, aka zero.
In fact, Vogt has only one year of coaching experience at any level. He retired as a player after the 2022 campaign, then spent one season as the Seattle Mariners' bullpen and quality control coach.
Managing an entire team is a pretty big jump for someone who was still playing just 13 months ago. Granted, Vogt is a former catcher, which is a position that demands leadership ability and having a strong feel for the game.
Still, it would have been nice if Cleveland could have replaced Francona -- a future Hall of Famer -- with someone who at least had a little bit of managing experience. At 39, Vogt is young enough to be Francona's son. He's never appeared in a World Series, either, let alone actually won one, so why should we expect him to get us over the hump when not even Francona could?
Vogt's youth presumably made him an attractive option to manage a young team, as he can easily relate to players after just finishing his own big-league career. He's also an incredibly hard worker who got the most out of his limited natural abilities, rising from a 12th-round pick to a two-time All-Star.
Vogt brings some appealing qualities to the table, but will he be up to the task? We'll find out soon enough.
In the meantime, you can stay busy this offseason by betting at Bet365. They're offering new users $150 in bonus bets for simply claiming the offer below and placing a first wager of just $5. This deal even works with a bet on any game, so you can wager on anything you want. This promotion won't last forever, though, so act now!
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