Guardians’ hiring process and why they believe in Stephen Vogt
FILE - Oakland Athletics' Stephen Vogt steps on the field before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Retired catcher Stephen Vogt is joining the Seattle Mariners as a bullpen and quality control coach, fulfilling his goal to go right into coaching. The 38-year-old Vogt called it a career after his 10th major league season in 2022.(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
By Zack Meisel
Nov 9, 2023
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CLEVELAND — The Guardians needed a process, something to steer them toward whatever it was they were seeking, something to tell them what they wanted in their next manager.

Eleven years ago, Terry Francona made the decision for them. When he conveyed interest in the club’s managerial opening, Cleveland’s front office didn’t put him on hold to wine and dine a dozen other candidates first. He filed a 17-page thesis. They shared dinner at Lola Bistro. By Oct. 6, three days after the end of the regular season, he was their manager.

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They really haven’t had to search for a new manager since 2009, after Eric Wedge’s last hurrah. That process directed them to Manny Acta, a sharp 40-year-old recovering from a rough trial with the Washington Nationals, over Bobby Valentine, a veteran who wasn’t sure he wanted the job and didn’t know much about it. They were a different organization then. The role of a manager was different.

So, yeah, the Guardians needed to start from scratch, to design a process that would highlight the qualities they should prioritize as they pinpointed the individual to replace the winningest manager in franchise history.

They started in September. They surveyed a group of active managers to learn what traits helped them achieve success in a variety of environments. They consulted Francona, who didn’t want to hand-pick his successor, but had no issue sharing the attributes that positioned him for success in Cleveland. They compiled a list of candidates that they narrowed to 45 individuals. After a round of reference checks, they conducted Zoom interviews with a subset of that group, then in-person interviews with a subset of that group. They had closing follow-ups with a couple of finalists. Aside from some fruitless flirtation with Craig Counsell, everything kept leading them back to Vogt.

Why not just tab an internal candidate to replace Francona? Why not continue what Francona helped build?

Francona’s departure doesn’t mean the pitching factory will cease production or the front office — albeit coming off a shaky year — will forget how to operate. The ways Francona influenced the organization will still be felt. But he was one of a kind. His expert communication skills have him bound for Cooperstown. He cared like few managers have ever cared. He made every player confident that he had their best interests in mind. His self-deprecating nature and willingness to be a shield for his players earned him any respect not already covered by his championship-winning credentials. He’d tell a player he was being demoted to Triple A and because Francona delivered the message so earnestly and carefully, they would walk out of his office so upbeat the bench coach would walk out with the player to assure they understood the news.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

'Evident from the very beginning': Stephen Vogt's path to manager was a long time coming

Hiring, say, DeMarlo Hale or Mike Sarbaugh, two well-regarded, longtime lieutenants, wouldn’t have guaranteed anything. That rare ability to connect with players and staff doesn’t rub off while sharing an armrest with Francona on team flights. There’s only one Francona, only one guy with that blend of wit and passion. The only internal candidate they gave much consideration to was hitting coach Chris Valaika, so their process clearly pointed them outside the organization, which was probably refreshing in some ways after having a largely stagnant coaching staff (and upper management) for the last decade.

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In Vogt, the Guardians did land someone with a magnetic personality, someone who can win over a clubhouse and handle the people part of the equation. Former teammates would certainly suggest he can build relationships with his players that set him up to be successful. But it’ll take time. One source used the term “culture-builder” to describe him, but that doesn’t happen overnight. Multiple sources from outside the organization said that, while Vogt has plenty of desirable qualities, there will likely be growing pains for anyone with such limited experience in the role.

The front office will have a sizable say in how he fares. They need to offer him more capable names to scribble onto his lineup card. And it’ll be much easier for Vogt to adjust to the nuances of the role if Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan continue to take steps forward.

What is it about catchers becoming managers? Of the 27 managers in the league — three teams have vacancies — 13 are former catchers, including nine in the AL (out of 13 teams).

Here’s a take from Chris Gimenez who, like former teammate Vogt, played the position for a decade in the majors:

“You see the game from a completely different perspective. You’re the only one on the field who sees the entire field. Your back’s not to anything. You’re in foul territory. You’re so integral, especially now with the way game plans are executed and front offices are talking about scouting reports — there’s a lot more that goes into navigating a game.

“The fact that he was a bullpen coach last year is going to be the greatest asset to his early managerial career. Managing the bullpen is the hardest thing to do as a manager. Everything else is kind of plug-and-play. You know when to hit and run. How often do we do that? Not very often. OK, great. Definitely don’t bunt with these guys. All that stuff is plug-and-play. Navigating a bullpen, knowing when to get a guy up. One thing I always appreciated with Tito is sometimes on the surface level it’d be like, ‘Why is this guy coming in right now?’ But it’s like, ‘I warmed this guy up once already and I can’t sit him down because now we can’t use him.’ Having that experience as a bullpen coach, knowing when to get guys up, having that communication with the pitching coach and manager, being in tune with all that, I think that’s going to help him so much.”

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Counsell was the only candidate the Guardians seriously considered who had prior major-league managing experience. Vogt has limited coaching experience, period, but he did at least operate with a coaching/leadership mindset for much of his career. He exhibited it as a rookie in Tampa in 2012. He endeared himself to teammates before he even reached the majors. He arranged a coaching apprenticeship in Milwaukee in 2018 while sidelined with a shoulder injury.


Stephen Vogt picked up plenty of valuable lessons while bouncing around to six different organizations, including Oakland. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
For the back half of his career, he was essentially a liaison between coaches and players, a guy who could hold difficult conversations with teammates because he knew they’d respect the message coming from him. That won’t make him an expert by Opening Day in knowing the perfect thing to say to Oscar Gonzalez to get him confident in his swing decisions or knowing how to convince Cal Quantrill that lifting him after 84 pitches was the prudent decision or knowing the tact to take when telling a player he’s being designated for assignment. But the Guardians are hopeful his leadership style, his engaging personality and his communication skills will guide him as he learns the intricacies of the job.

Vogt gutted through 10 big-league seasons, primarily as a backup catcher, and bounced around to six organizations. He understands failure. He also has experience on the other end of the spectrum, having earned a pair of All-Star nods. There’s a lot he can draw upon from his career to relate to a player. He’s survived that 0-for-20 funk. He’s chased that high of standing on the baseline for introductions in mid-July with the best players in the sport. He should be a valuable influence for Naylor, who flourished down the stretch of his rookie season in 2023. Another former teammate suggested his work with pitchers throughout his career will pay dividends for Cleveland’s young starting staff.

And as a rival coach added: Vogt will benefit from playing as the technology and analytics revolution altered the game. He has experience playing under the guidance of “see ball, hit ball” and also “see a bunch of numbers and charts, hit ball.” The Guardians stress tailoring their plans to the individual, especially when it comes to the data they relay to each player. Everyone embraces it to a different degree, and information overload can be disadvantageous. Vogt should be adaptable enough to connect with anyone he encounters.

The Guardians open the 2024 season in Oakland, where fans chanted for Vogt as if he were a pop star, not a part-time backstop. Couple that with the fact that the A’s are bound to bolt to Vegas in the near future — who knows how many more Opening Days they’ll host in the Coliseum? — and it could create a scene to behold on March 28. The opposing manager might receive louder cheers than anyone else in the building during that series.

https://www.mlb.com/video/mike-chernoff-on-guardians

Video of Mike Chernoff discussing Guardians.

Quite a puff piece from Meisel

Zack Meisel
@ZackMeisel
·
3h
Guardians coaching staff for 2024:

DeMarlo Hale is mulling over whether to return as bench coach. Mike Sarbaugh, Rigo Beltran and Mike Barnett are out. Everyone else is back.

So, they need a 3B/infield coach, a bullpen coach, a replay coordinator and maybe a bench coach.

Zack Meisel
@ZackMeisel
·
7h
Guardians are hiring Craig Albernaz (former Giants bullpen/catching coach) as their major league field coordinator. He interviewed for their manager gig. He’ll have his hands in a little of everything in this role.

Why Guardians’ Tanner Bibee would relish a second-place Rookie of the Year finish Jul 22, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (61) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
7h ago



CLEVELAND — Tanner Bibee is aware that Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson will likely claim American League Rookie of the Year honors Monday evening.

The question on his mind is whether he’ll finish second or third. It’s a minor distinction but could make a significant difference for him — and for the Cleveland Guardians.

No starting pitcher in either league has won Rookie of the Year since Michael Fulmer for the Detroit Tigers in 2016. That’s expected to remain true, with Henderson and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll the heavy favorites to claim the hardware. In the AL, the more compelling theater is where Bibee and the Boston Red Sox’s Triston Casas wind up.

Bibee was an afterthought to oddsmakers in the spring, unlisted among the candidates. And for good reason, as he didn’t attend big-league camp with the Guardians. The front office pulled one of its patented moves, attempting to keep a burgeoning pitching prospect off Terry Francona and Carl Willis’ radar, fearing they would salivate over Bibee’s command and beg to bring him north for Opening Day. They shielded Shane Bieber from the staff in a similar manner five years earlier.

Still, team personnel flocked to the back fields throughout the spring when Bibee and fellow top-prospect-turned-impressive-rookie Gavin Williams conducted throwing sessions. As Willis monitored an Aaron Civale outing during a minor-league game one day during camp, Bibee was throwing on an adjacent field. Willis tried to sneak a few peeks at Bibee’s session, but he and Civale kept taking the mound at the same time, so the pitching coach witnessed only three of Bibee’s throws.

Injuries to Civale and Triston McKenzie forced the Guardians to promote Bibee earlier than they had intended, but for five months in the majors, he never seemed incapable of tackling the task before him. That includes a big-league debut, a second career start opposite Gerrit Cole at Yankee Stadium, mastery of Shohei Ohtani in a May encounter, dueling with Max Scherzer at Citi Field, blanking the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley, twice pitching well enough to win against the eventual champion Texas Rangers, throwing seven scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays and silencing the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins. He was consistent and undaunted by becoming Cleveland’s de facto ace as injuries, ineffectiveness and trades ravaged the rotation.

Bibee fits the Cleveland pitching factory prototype: a command-first college hurler who added velocity, sharpened his secondary stuff and made the transition to the majors appear elementary. He’s still haunted by his track record at Cal State Fullerton, with his tenure as anchor of their staff coinciding with the program’s only multiyear NCAA Tournament hiatus in the past 35 years. Yet, less than two years after the Guardians plucked him out of Orange County, he had broken into the majors.

In college, Bibee’s slider and curveball were too indistinguishable from each other. He didn’t wield a useful changeup. His velocity wasn’t noteworthy. Now he throws a mid-90s heater, topping out at 99 mph during a June start against the Twins. He can lean on a slider and a changeup that produce plenty of swing-and-miss.

As a result, he recorded a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts while tallying about a strikeout per inning. Only twice did he allow more than three earned runs, and both instances came early in his season.

Earned runs allowed in his 25 starts: 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 6.

He was, unquestionably, the top rookie starter in the AL.

No Cleveland player has won Rookie of the Year since Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1990. But again, for Bibee, the question is whether he can finish second. If he does, thanks to the terms of the latest collective bargaining agreement, he’ll earn a full year of service time. That’s a worthwhile prize.

“We always want our players to do as well as they possibly can,” team president Chris Antonetti said when asked if he was rooting for Bibee to finish in the top two.

It’s an obvious question and an obvious corporate answer. But the new rules create different motivations for everyone involved, even if they won’t acknowledge it. It’s all a bit awkward.

If Bibee finishes second and gains that full year of service time, he’ll move one year closer to free agency. For someone as skilled as Bibee and for a team with a pattern of trading pitchers who near free agency, it’s a storyline worth storing in your back pocket. This shouldn’t set off panic alarms — it’s a matter of the Guardians controlling Bibee for six years instead of seven — but that year of service time could speed up Bibee’s timeline in Cleveland or convince the front office to spark extension conversations in the spring. Bibee would have far more leverage than he would if he were negotiating without the year of service time. The financial implications for Bibee are substantial. He’s well aware of the stakes.

If Bibee hadn’t tweaked his hip in mid-September and the Guardians hadn’t promptly shut him down — they did so with all three rotation mainstays who debuted this year — could Bibee have strengthened his case? He has pondered as much and suggested if he finishes third or fourth, he might arrive at his first big-league camp with a chip on his shoulder, feeling as though he performed well enough to finish in the top two.

Bibee is the only AL rookie contender facing this predicament. Henderson and Casas debuted in 2022 and started the 2023 season on their teams’ Opening Day rosters, so they’re in line for a full year of service time regardless of where they place.

Bibee made only three starts at Triple-A Columbus before the Guardians summoned him to the big leagues. They had high hopes for him, but they had no idea he’d adapt so quickly. If they weren’t desperate for an injury replacement and Bibee had remained in the minors longer, he probably wouldn’t have an opportunity to finish second and neither he nor the team would be sweating the result.

If he finishes third, Bibee won’t earn the year of service time, but he would be in line to become a Super Two player after next season, meaning he’d gain an additional year of arbitration eligibility.

“There’s probably tradeoffs both good and bad with some of the new rules, but they are what they are,” Antonetti said. “So our job is to try to make the best decisions we can within the rules that are in place.”

In this case, Bibee’s seamless transition to the majors, at a time of rotation desperation for the Guardians, could pay dividends down the line.

DeMarlo Hale leaving Guardians to take spot on Blue Jays’ bench

Congrats to Bibee as he DID take 2nd place and get a full year service time. It's a big deal for a kid like that!

The Blue Jays hired DeMarlo Hale to be their associate manager.

The 62-year-old coach returns to the Blue Jays, where he previously served as the bench coach from 2013 - 2018. Hale has spent the last three years working as the Guardians’ bench coach under Terry Francona, where he occasionally filled in as the interim manager when Francona needed to step away from the team due to health issues.

Don Mattingly will remain as the Jays’ bench coach and will also serve as their offensive coordinator for the 2024 season.

I love how they make up new titles with no specific duties but pays him a few bucks.

Sort of like the no-show jobs mobsters negotiated.

I hope there was some bucks in Bibee's contract for finishing second. Service time bonus is years down the road.

I hope there was some bucks in Bibee's contract for finishing second.

He deserves it, but I also didn't realize that the minimum major league salary in 2024 is $740,000.
Boy have times changed.
A couple weeks in the big leagues earn a young man a pretty nice wage.

Guardians get an extra draft pick at the end of the first round of the draft because Bibee finished 2nd in the rookie of the year vote,

Rule 5 might be more interesting this year because the Guardians are drafting higher than usual, Who knows. Maybe a left handed relief pitcher ? May be their own player ?

Guardians in no rush to trade Shane Bieber; weak free-agent class muddles offensive plans
Jul 9, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
By Jason Lloyd
4h ago
11

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Shane Bieber’s shoulder injury two weeks before the trade deadline last year didn’t just derail his season, it may have permanently altered Cleveland’s future plans for him.

Bieber seemed like a lock to be dealt in July prior to the injury. Now he might not need the moving trucks at all. With the winter meetings still three weeks away, I’m getting the impression Bieber will still be on the Guardians’ roster when they open the season in March under new manager Stephen Vogt in Oakland.

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It’s clear at this point Bieber, who can become a free agent next year, and the Guardians aren’t going to agree on a long-term extension. Moving Bieber last summer when he had two postseasons of control remaining would’ve typically been the sweet spot for this organization, but the injury rendered that moot.

Markets are volatile. Pitching was in such demand four months ago that the Guardians were poised to leverage the thin supply into a maximum return. It’s how they snagged Kyle Manzardo for Aaron Civale, and despite his diminished velocity and hard contact, they likely could’ve squeezed a similar gift for Bieber.

All of that has now changed.

This is a lousy free-agent class, but the pitching market, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray as headliners, appears to be a bit deeper than the bats. That isn’t good news for Cleveland’s front office, which is seeking at least one impact hitter this offseason. The prices will likely surge even more than usual.

A player like Teoscar Hernandez or Jorge Soler would be an ideal fit here in any other offseason, but their prices will inflate now.

The Guardians saw this weak free-agent class coming last winter, which is partially why they went to two years on Josh Bell. We all know how that ended.

Manzardo and Chase DeLauter enjoyed terrific fall seasons. DeLauter led the Arizona Fall League in RBIs and both were among the league leaders in home runs. While Manzardo could (should?) be an Opening Day option, DeLauter has just 22 at-bats above Class A and therefore probably is not. The Guardians are going to have to get resourceful either in free agency or trade to upgrade their offense.

Which brings this all back to Bieber. Trading the former Cy Young winner for an impact bat seems logical, but with a rotation this young and inexperienced, what Cleveland’s front office doesn’t want to do is trade away Bieber now and then have to scramble to find another veteran starter of his ilk at the trade deadline, when prices are likely to be more painful.

Furthermore, contenders’ desperation to add an arm at last summer’s deadline made them more willing to forgive Bieber’s diminished metrics than they are today. It’s fair to wonder how much the Guardians could actually command for him now. This seems like a clear instance where what he provides to this staff is more beneficial than any trade package he could conceivably net.

A rotation of Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen looks awfully more imposing with Bieber as the headliner — even if he isn’t the same Bieber of old. His two late September starts were an encouraging step, and if Cleveland falls out of contention again the team could still flip him at the deadline. If the Guardians stay in the hunt all year, Bieber would likely walk after the season. It doesn’t happen often that the Guardians let an impact free agent walk out the door at the end of his contract, and while it isn’t ideal, there is at least a precedent with Michael Brantley.

All of this is subject to change, of course, and it only takes one compelling offer to send Bieber on his way before spring training. But as Vogt begins putting names with faces throughout the organization, perhaps it was telling that one of his first meetings occurred with Bieber over lunch in Arizona. It seemed unrealistic in May or June that Bieber would still be a member of the Guardians today. Now the end may not be as close as we thought.



Random thoughts
• DeMarlo Hale has officially joined Toronto’s coaching staff, meaning Vogt will need a new bench coach. The Guardians are also seeking a third base/infield coach, a bullpen coach and a replay coordinator. Everyone else will return from Terry Francona’s staff.

• There was a concern internally that Carl Willis, 62, might follow Francona out the door. It’s part of the reason the front office kept Willis and a few others so involved in the managerial process. Willis and Vogt hit it off immediately and Willis will return as pitching coach.


• One thing I’ve learned over the years is how every head coach or manager, regardless of the sport, needs at least one guy on staff he is comfortable with and can trust to always have his back. Vogt is so inexperienced that he is inheriting most of Francona’s old staff. That’s why bringing on Craig Albernaz is such an important move, at least to me. The Guardians are basically creating a position for Albernaz, 41, as major league field coordinator. He served as the Giants’ bullpen coach for the last four years and was one of the candidates the Guardians interviewed for their managerial opening. Vogt and Albernaz were teammates in Tampa and have a history together.

• Juan Brito, whom Cleveland received in exchange for Nolan Jones prior to last season, homered once in 12 at-bats during the Dominican winter league. The Guardians remain high on his offensive potential, and after the season Jones turned in for the Rockies, they better be right. Brito is a bit stocky in build and isn’t expected to stick at shortstop.

IF Bieber rebuilds his value they might end up getting more for him at the deadline than they could over the winter. And of course if he pitches well and they contend they have the luxury of keeping him too.

ck Meisel
@ZackMeisel
·
21m
The Guardians are designating Cal Quantrill for assignment.

He was projected to earn $6.6M next season and had two years of team control remaining. His 2023 was marred by injury/ineffectiveness, though he did have a strong September.