Mariners would have to expect huge price in trade for Guardians manager Stephen Vogt

The last year of Stephen Vogt's playing career was in 2022, but he didn't stay out of the game for long. In January 2023, he was hired by the Seattle Mariners to be their bullpen and quality control coach. He spent just a single season in that role before being selected as the Guardians' manager where he has been for the past three seasons, winning two Manager of the Year awards along the way.

Naturally, this makes him a particularly compelling candidate to replace Dan Wilson's now vacant spot as Seattle's skipper, and there have been rumors linking him to the organization. He's likely still under contract with Cleveland for a little while longer, but that doesn't mean there isn't a way to get him back to the Mariners.

If Seattle wants to trade for Stephen Vogt, it will cost them some meaningful prospect capital

While players get traded all the time, it's quite uncommon for managers to change hands, at least while they're still employed. Luckily, the Mariners have some experience with this exact situation. In 2001, after years of longing to be closer to home, Lou Piniella was sent to manage the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In exchange, Seattle received Randy Winn, an outfielder who would have a respectable stint as a Mariner, accumulating a 104 OPS+ and 8.8 rWAR over two and a half seasons.

It's this exact precedent that spurred Adam Jude of The Seattle Times to suggest this idea. However, assuming it was a proposal that the Guardians were willing to entertain, Vogt is not an asset that they would give up cheaply. He has been an integral part of their recent success, especially their unlikely rise to the top of the AL Central this year.

Cleveland, like the Brewers and Rays, operate under a frugal yet shrewd front office. It's rare that the Guardians are unable to unlock the full potential of their team's assets and doing business with them can be risky. To further complicate a potential Vogt deal, it's unclear how many years of "club control" remain on his contract. Because details of manager contracts such as salary and term are often private, it's difficult to determine just what Seattle would be getting in return.

Even if it were for just one year, it wouldn't be a reach to say for Cleveland to ask for a handful of top prospects in return. Since they'd have more negotiating leverage, even names in the top 10 may not be out of the question. After all, the Guardians likely aren't in much of a hurry to part with the manager who has led them to three consecutive division wins.

Vogt isn't the only manager that the Mariners are reportedly pursuing, but he's likely the best. Given how disappointing this season was and the organization's recent moves to clean house, Jerry Dipoto is feeling the pressure more than ever before and it may take something drastic to return him into the good graces of fans. Though unorthodox, an aggressive manager trade may be just the wacky move he needs to turn things around.

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