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Hey, Hoynsie: When searching for Terry Francona’s heir apparent after the 2023 season, what were some of the things that made Stephen Vogt stand out? — Andy Mees, Sandusky.
Hey, Andy: One was the fact he was an active player as recently as 2022. The Guardians have put a young team on the field for the last four or five years and Vogt was able to relate to them, and they could relate to him.
Vogt also knew what he didn’t know. He had never managed, and he was open to help from the front office and coaching staff. He’d also spent most of his career as a catcher, meaning he’d worked with pitchers, pitching coaches and managers in putting together game plans.
Hey, Hoynsie: Is Stephen Vogt the first MLB Manager to win Manager of the Year in his first two years on the job? — John Kyle, Westfield Center, Ohio.
Hey, John: Yes, he is. Vogt is also the first Cleveland manager to take his team to the postseason in his first two seasons.
Toronto manager John Schneider.AP
Hey, Hoynsie: What made the difference in Stephen Vogt being voted AL Manager of the Year over Toronto’s John Schneider, who took the Blue Jays from worst to first in the AL East? — Greg Benedetto, Cottonwood, Arizona.
Hey, Greg Benedetto: People love an underdog, and the Guards were an underdog in 2025. They lost two pitchers to a gambling scandal. They were 15 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central in July and 11 games out on Sept. 4 but won the Central on the last day of the season.
They did all that on a shoestring payroll compared to Toronto’s $242 million payroll.
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, center, leaves Brooklyn federal court, Thursday after pleading not guilty on the gambling charges brought against him and teammate Luis Ortiz.AP
Hey, Hoynsie: If MLB is really interested in fixing the game’s gambling problem, a good place to start would be banning Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz for life, the same as they did with Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. — William White.
Hey, William: MLB had the power to eliminate all prop bets following the Clase and Ortiz indictment, but they only curtailed them. Clase and Ortiz may indeed be banned for life and face jail time, but by not eliminating prop bets MLB ignored a big part of the problem.
Hey, Hoynsie: How does the salary of the indicted Cleveland pitchers impact the Guardians’ payroll if they’re found guilty? — Jim Horvath, Dublin.
Hey, Jim: If Emmanuel Clase or Luis Ortiz are found to be in violation of MLB’s rules by Commissioner Rob Manfred, the Guardians will not be liable for their salaries. The Guardians still owe Clase $10.4 million in guaranteed money.
Ortiz, who is not eligible for arbitration, made $782,600 last season. That’s just over the minimum salary in the big leagues.
There’s speculation that a decision could be made by spring training. Players do not get paid until the start of the regular season.
Hey, Hoynsie: Will players have concerns coming to the Guardians in light of the betting scandal? — Steve Buzon, Alexandria, Virginia.
Hey, Steven: Why would they? Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, based on the indictment, acted on their own. It’s not like the Guardians condoned it.
Hey, Hoynsie: Does Stephen Vogt have an open-door policy with players to discuss baseball business with or without an agent present? — Edward Miller, Winter Haven, Florida.
Hey, Edward: If a player has a problem about playing time or how he’s being used, Vogt is more than willing to talk to him. If by baseball business you mean contract negotiations, I think most managers would tell the player to meet with the front office and bring his agent.
One more thing, is Andy’s Igloo still open for business in Winter Haven? When the Indians trained there, they had unbelievable milk shakes.
Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Guardians could put together a package for a trade for Fernando Tatis, Jr.? Maybe they could trade Travis Bazzana and another player? — Bobby, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Hey, Bobby: You need to get out of New Mexico’s high altitude and regain your equilibrium. The Padres signed Tatis to a 14-year, $340 million contract in 2021 that runs through 2034. Tatis is a nice player, but there’s no way the Guardians are trading Bazzana because they can’t afford him.
Sandy Alomar, Guardians’ first base and catching coach, caught 20 years in the big leagues, including 11 in Cleveland.David I. Andersen
Hey, Hoynsie: I’ve read where teams hire catching coaches. Is there one coach that especially works with Bo Naylor? — Jim Harris Newark, Ohio.
Hey, Jim: Former Gold Glove catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. is the Guardians catching coach and first base coach. Alomar caught for 20 years in the big leagues, including 11 for Cleveland when he went to six All-Star Games. Manager Stephen Vogt and new bench coach Tony Arnerich were former catchers as well.
Hey, Hoynsie: Any chance we’ll get to see Khal Stephen in Cleveland’s rotation at any time in 2026? I sure would like to see some return on the Shane Bieber trade to Toronto. — Ken Beckman, Westfield Center, Ohio.
Hey, Ken: A lot of things would have to happen for Stephen to make his big league debut this year. Most of them would be bad for the Guardians.
Stephen, Toronto’s second round pick in 2024, has made five starts at Double-A, one for the Blue Jays and four with Cleveland. He was dealing with a right shoulder impingement when the Guardians acquired him for Bieber on July 31 but reportedly ended the season healthy.
The 6-4, 215-pound right-hander was a combined 9-2 with a 2.53 ERA last season at three minor league levels. The Guardians ideally would probably like to give him at least one more season in the minors.
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