Guardians Reveal Replacement for 3B Coach Mike Sarbaugh

The Cleveland Guardians losing manager Terry Francona to retirement was bound to have major implications for the rest of the dugout. While a few coaches have elected to stay under new skipper Stephen Vogt, others have decided to take their talents elsewhere.

One of the biggest departures aside from Francona was beloved third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, who took the same role with the New York Mets last week. Now, the Guardians have revealed who will replace him.

Cleveland announced its official 2024 staff on Monday, with several new coaches being added to the dugout. Among them was Rouglas Odor, who is set to oversee the infield for the upcoming campaign. However, Zack Meisel of the Athletic later added that Odor is taking over as third-base coach as well.

While Odor is technically a "new" coach for the Guardians' major league team, he's been around the block with this organization. After playing for Cleveland in the minor leagues, he transitioned to the coaching ranks, which has led to more than three decades spent with the organization.

Odor has enjoyed some notable success as a minor league coach. Most recently, he served as manager of the Guardians' Double-A affiliate, the Akron RubberDucks, who captured the title in 2021.

It makes a ton of sense for Cleveland to turn to a familiar face as a Sarbaugh replacement. Odor's deep understanding of the organization's philosophies makes him the ideal person to take on this important role following such a cherished coach.

Hopefully Odor's minor league success translates to the majors and Cleveland gets back to contending in 2024.

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