Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has dispelled speculation about his future, saying he will return to the club next season to chase an elusive World Series title. "I'm here," Vogt said at a news conference Thursday. "I'm coming back."
Vogt has led the Guardians to a division crown in each of his three seasons and has twice been named American League Manager of the Year. With the Seattle Mariners' managerial job open after they fired Dan Wilson last month following a 76-86 season, there had been rumblings that Vogt might leave to be closer to his family's home in Olympia, Washington. The 41-year-old said he has not been contacted by Seattle. "I'll be in Cleveland," Vogt said three days after the Guardians were eliminated in the American League Championship Series by Tampa Bay. "I have not gotten a phone call."
Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said he expects Vogt to manage in Cleveland "for a really long time," adding, "We don't have any interest in Voter managing anywhere else." Vogt signed a multiyear extension after the 2024 season, though its terms were never made public. Vogt, a father of three, has been candid about the strain of being away from his family for long stretches. "It's the worst part of my job," he said.
The Guardians, one of the league's youngest teams, regrouped from a sluggish first half to win the division, then rallied from an 0-2 deficit to beat the White Sox in the AL Division Series. Their run ended against the Rays, extending baseball's longest current World Series drought to 78 years. Pitching coach Carl Willis, 65, will return for a 15th season with Cleveland.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing