Guardians hire former Mariners bullpen coach Vogt to succeed longtime manager Terry Francona

The Cleveland Guardians have hired Stephen Vogt, a journeyman catcher with no managerial experience, as their new manager to replace Terry Francona, the team announced Monday.

Vogt was Seattle's bullpen coach last season.

Although the 39-year-old Vogt has never been a manager, he checked every other box for the Guardians, who also spoke with Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell about their opening last week.

A two-time all-star, Vogt played for six teams in 10 seasons before retiring with Oakland in 2022. He homered in his final at-bat for the Athletics, a personal walk-off that capped a career he hoped would continue as a manager.

The Guardians will introduce Vogt at a press conference on Friday.

"Stephen earned a reputation as one of the best teammates in the game across his 16-year career as a player, and we've greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him over the past several weeks," said Chris Antonetti, the Guardians' president of baseball operations.

"Stephen has thought critically about the type of leader and manager he wants to be. His deep care for others, his ability to build meaningful relationships with those around him, and his open-mindedness and curiosity make him an ideal fit to lead our club moving forward. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Stephen."

Initial meeting in mid-October

The Guardians are beginning a new era following 11 successful seasons with Francona, the winningest manager in the club's 123-year history. Francona, who took Cleveland to the playoffs six times, recently stepped down but plans to stay with the organization in some capacity.

Vogt had an initial meeting in mid-October with the Guardians, who were so impressed they immediately scheduled a second, in-person visit at Progressive Field.

One of the things that stood out about Vogt to Cleveland's front office was his deep baseball background. He's lived the game's highs and lows — making his big-league debut at 27, overcoming a major injury, getting cut and traded, waiting almost 15 months to get his first hit.

He was a beloved teammate in Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Arizona, Atlanta and during two stints with Oakland. Vogt's warm personality made him a clubhouse leader, and his knowledge of how to handle a pitching staff was another plus during the Guardians' search.

A father of three, Vogt loves talking baseball and he has often credited many of his former managers, from Counsell to Bruce Bochy to Bob Melvin, Brian Snitker and Mark Kotsay, with being role models and mentors.

Melvin called Vogt "one of the most inspiring players I've ever managed" and "one of my all-time favorites."

Bochy always viewed Vogt as a leader.

"He's a baseball guy," the Texas Rangers manager said when he was with Vogt on the Giants. "I could see him managing. I love watching him play. He's a lot of fun to watch."

Counsell hire a surprising move

The Chicago Cubs hired manager Craig Counsell away from Milwaukee, landing the former big leaguer with a record-breaking contract and firing David Ross in a tandem of surprising moves.

The 53-year-old Counsell became the majors' highest paid manager with a five-year contract worth more than $40 million US, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms weren't announced.

Ross, 46, went 262-284 in four seasons with Chicago, winning the National League Central in 2020 in his first year in charge. He also was a beloved backup catcher for the Cubs when they won the 2016 World Series in a historic moment for the franchise.

Chicago was in position for an NL wild card this year before stumbling in September. It went 83-79 after finishing under .500 in the previous two seasons.

The change at manager was reminiscent of 2014, when Chicago fired Rick Renteria after one season and hired Joe Maddon. Hoyer was the general manager at the time.

The Cubs then made four consecutive playoff appearances under Maddon, losing in the NL Championship Series twice and winning the 2016 title.

The addition of Counsell, who grew up in Milwaukee before becoming the Brewers' winningest manager in franchise history, likely means the Cubs plan to be active in free agency. They are hoping to bring back Cody Bellinger for the middle of their lineup, and they also could go looking for help for their rotation.

Mendoza 1st-time MLB bench boss

The New York Mets are hiring Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their manager, according to a person familiar with the decision.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the move had not been announced.

Mendoza spent the past four seasons across town as Aaron Boone's bench coach with the Yankees. He replaces Buck Showalter, fired by the Mets at the end of last season after holding the job for two years.

It's the first high-profile hire by new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who took over his hometown team early last month.

Mendoza, who turns 44 this month, has managed in the Venezuelan Winter League but never above Class A in the minors. He takes over a Mets team that finished fourth in the NL East this season at 75-87, which was 29 games behind first-place Atlanta, despite having the highest payroll in major league history under owner Steve Cohen.

Mendoza becomes the fifth Mets manager since Terry Collins' seven-year tenure ended in 2017. None of the past four lasted more than two seasons — Carlos Beltran was let go without even managing a game, fallout from Major League Baseball's investigation into the Houston Astros' cheating scandal in 2017.