Guardians manager Stephen Vogt shoots down Mariners rumors

On the heels of speculation that Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt could be a candidate to be the next skipper of the Seattle Mariners, he has put the rumors to rest.

Former Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver retires

Vogt said Thursday he is “coming back” for his fourth season as Cleveland’s manager, as reported by Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

The speculation stemmed from MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince mentioning how hard it is on Vogt to be away from his family during the regular season. Vogt and his family call Olympia, Wash., home.

“You can’t get an honest answer from him about that, but I do know just from what I’ve observed in his time here, I mean, it kills this guy to be away from his family. It really does,” Castrovince told 92.3 FM The Fan in Cleveland. “His family is out in Washington and so from that standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world. Now, he’s under contract here and that’s complicated, but we have seen manager trades before. So, I don’t rule it out, personally.”

Vogt’s comments do confirm there is truth to the point Castrovince was making, but he remains committed to the Guardians.

“The worst part of my job is being away from my family,” Vogt said. “… Our home and our family is the most sacred thing to us,. We love the Cleveland area. We love our summer here. I love living here. I just wish I could be in two places at once.”

Guardians president Chris Antonetti said that the Mariners have not inquired about Vogt, per The Athletic.

The article stated that the Vogt family, which includes Stephen’s wife Alyssa and three children, spend the majority of the summer in Cleveland.

Vogt played 10 MLB seasons as a catcher, then immediately joined the coaching ranks after his retirement by becoming Mariners bullpen coach in 2023. He was hired as Cleveland’s manager in 2024, and he has since won two American League Manager of the Year awards, three AL Central division titles and a pair of AL Championship Series appearances.

Three candidates to replace Dan Wilson as Mariners manager have been reported thus far: former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, and Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler.

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