Guardians Rejected by Top Terry Francona Replacement Choice
By Tyler Maher
It's been nearly two weeks since the Cleveland Guardians' season ended, and they're still searching for a new manager to replace Terry Francona. Francona officially retired after 11 years at the helm, leaving Cleveland to find a new skipper for the first time in over a decade.
While the Guardians have already started interviewing candidates, they've yet to find a good fit. It also doesn't help that one potential replacement option has taken his name off the table.
NEWS: Will Venable, Rangers associate manager, has been contacted by multiple @MLB teams regarding their managerial openings, but he’s told those clubs that he’s staying with Texas.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 12, 2023
This is a significant development. Venable, 40, is highly regarded in the industry. @MLBNetwork
Guardians Manager Search
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Will Venable has decided to stay with the Texas Rangers rather than pursue a managerial role with a new team despite receiving several interview requests.
Venable, 40, is currently the Rangers' associate manager under Bruce Bochy. Texas is currently preparing to play the Houston Astros in the ALCS, so it's not great timing for Venable anyways.
This is unfortunate news for the Guardians, as Venable is one of the most coveted managerial candidates in the big leagues. Not only is young, but he's also a former player who enjoyed a nine-year career from 2008-2016, so he understands the modern game.
Since retiring, Venable has coached for three different organizations. He was a first and third base coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2018-2020 before serving as Alex Cora's bench coach on the Boston Red Sox from 2021-2022. Venable even got the chance to manage several games with Boston when Cora was away from the team.
Venable joined the Rangers for the 2023 campaign and immediately helped them reach the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Given the team's current success and championship aspirations, it's understandable why he wouldn't want to leave and work for a team coming off of a losing season like the Guardians.
Venable would have been a nice option for us, but unfortunately it just isn't the right time. The search continues.
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