MLB rumors: Molina gives likelihood of return, Francona replacement, Padres new manager
- The Padres have a replacement in mind at manager
- Similarly, the Guardians are making moves on their Terry Francona replacement
- Yadier Molina broke silence on the rumored job the Cardinals have offered him
By Josh Wilson
Guardians have a breakout candidate to fill manager seat
Terry Francona's retirement leaves a gaping hole for the Cleveland Guardians and MLB to fill. Francona sits 13th in all-time wins by a manager with 1,950 and was third among active managers this year behind only Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy.
Francona leaves the Guardians as the all-time winningest manager as well as the longest-tenured manager. According to Tom Withers of the Associated Press, Stephen Vogt could be next. Vogt has advanced to a second interview with the Guardians, with the meeting anticipated to take place Tuesday at Progressive Field.
"After speaking with Vogt last week, the Guardians want to get to know him better, perhaps a sign that he’s a frontrunner for the job."
Vogt would certainly be a change in personality for the skipper role in Cleveland. Having retired after the 2022 season as a player, he's not far removed from his playing career which spanned from 2012 to 2022 in the big leagues with the Rays, Athletics, Brewers, Giants, Diamondbacks, and Braves. In 2023 Vogt served as a bullpen and quality control coach.
The Guardians were the second-youngest team in MLB last season and after appearing in the 2022 playoffs, are obviously talented. As a recent player himself, Vogt could be a good bridge between the legacy skipper of Francona into the next era in Cleveland.