Time is now for Mariners to tug at Guardians manager Stephen Vogt's heartstrings

Stephen Vogt is still under contract with the Cleveland Guardians, so he's not technically available as the Seattle Mariners seek a replacement for Dan Wilson in their manager's chair. Yet if nothing else, Vogt is certainly less busy now that that the Guardians are out of the playoffs.

So if the Mariners are going to get the two-time AL Manager of the Year to come home before the 2027 season, now is the time.

We mean "home" quite literally. Vogt has been with Cleveland for three seasons since serving as the Mariners' bullpen coach in 2023, but he and his family live in Olympia (also his wife's hometown) during the offseason. As such, it's easy to get on the same wavelength as MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince with his stance on the Mariners and Vogt.

"It kills the guy to be away from his family," Castrovince said during an interview on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland on Tuesday, "his family's out in Washington, so from that point, it makes all the sense in the world."

For the sake of abiding by Castrovince's explicit wish not to be taken out of context, he's not reporting or seemingly even alluding that something is in the works. Even so, there's a card for the Mariners to play if the Guardians grant them permission (if it's happened, it hasn't been publicly reported) to interview Vogt. Their pitch to him wouldn't necessarily have to be all about the job. They could also push the idea of a homecoming. Manipulative, perhaps, but potentially highly effective.

The Mariners can't hire Stephen Vogt without giving the Guardians something in return

There is, of course, still the fundamental problem that Vogt is employed by the Guardians. The terms of his contract are unclear, but we know he signed an extension sometime before the 2025 season. If the deal was up, we'd presumably know by now.

The Mariners would have to make a trade to secure Vogt as their new skipper, and the Guardians are the ones with the leverage. They're not the team that needs a manager and which has reasons to covet Vogt, whose credentials are backed up by three AL Central titles in three seasons. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times wrote that sending a player or a prospect to Cleveland is "basically a non-starter" for the Mariners.

Yet if Vogt were to put his thumb on the scale in an attempt to force his way back to Washington, it wouldn't be a first for MLB history. It wouldn't even be a first for Mariners history, as Lou Piniella ended up in Tampa Bay in 2003 largely because he wanted to be closer to home. The Mariners got All-Star outfielder Randy Winn as compensation in a trade with the Devil Rays.

It's important to remain clear-eyed about the reality of Vogt becoming the Mariners' next manager. It's a long shot. And the clock is ticking. The Mariners reportedly aim to secure a skipper by the end of October. Even then, the new guy will only have four weeks to get acclimated before the lockout hits.

Vogt's name has stayed on the radar mainly by virtue of being the best possible hire for the Mariners. In the unlikely event that it happens, it could be because they pulled the right heartstrings.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow