Although Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt has strong ties to Washington State, he is not interested in the vacant Mariners managerial position. Vogt made it clear Thursday that he remains on the Guardians’ side.
“I’ll be in Cleveland.” Vogt told Tim Stebbins of MLB.com and other reporters. “I’m here. I’ll be back.”
Next season will be Vogt’s fourth in Cleveland, which won the American League Central in each of its first three years. After earning AL Manager of the Year honors from 2024-25, Vogt is a finalist again this fall. The former major league catcher guided the Guards to the ALCS for the second time in 2026, but the team is now in the early stages of the offseason after losing in six games to the Rays. While Cleveland won two of the first three, Tampa Bay then won three in a row by a combined score of 17-7. It was a bitter ending for Cleveland, although it’s impressive that the club made it this far after opening the season with the lowest payroll in the league, around $75 million.
Teams in need of a manager would have coveted Vogt if he had been a free agent this offseason, but he signed a multi-year extension after the 2024 campaign. Although it is unclear how many years remain on the contract, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told Zack Meisel of The Athletic that he had “All the expectations Vogt is going to manage here for a very long time.”
Despite the contract status of Vogt, 41, there has been recent speculation that the managerless Mariners could attempt to acquire him from the Guardians in a rare trade for a skipper. Antonetti told Meisel he was aware of the discussion, but he revealed the Mariners did not call about Vogt. Before joining the Guardians, Vogt was the Mariners’ bullpen coach in 2023. He is also married to a Washington native, and they and their children live in Olympia, but Vogt is happy to continue in his position with the Guardians.
“Our home and our family are what is most sacred to us” Vogt said (via Meisel). “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.”
With Vogt locked up, he and Antonetti expect Carl Willis and the rest of the coaching staff to return next year, according to Meisel. Willis, who was initially with the organization from 2003-09, returned for a second tenure as pitching coach in October 2017. Scheduled to turn 66 in December, it appears Willis will coach for at least one more year. The Guardians posted the eighth-best ERA in the majors under Willis’ watch in 2026. Gavin Williams led the AL with 248 strikeouts, left-handed Parker Messick has become a contender for AL Rookie of the Year, and closer Cade Smith trampled opposing hitters for the third consecutive season.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
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