MLB Rumors: Stephen Vogt emerges as 'serious candidate' to be Guardians manager

Stephen Vogt, who spent a decade as a catcher in the MLB from 2012-22, is a "serious candidate" to become the next manager of the Cleveland Guardians, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Currently a coach with the Seattle Mariners, Vogt has interviewed for manager jobs in the past. He most recently met with the San Francisco Giants, who appear ready to move in a different direction with Padres headman Bob Melvin.

Vogt was a respected veteran who made two All-Star appearances with the Oakland Athletics. As Passan notes, he was pegged as a future manager during his playing days due to his gregarious attitude and advanced baseball intellect.

"Executives pegged Vogt as a future manager while he was still playing. His ability to connect with players -- and loosen up a group with his sense of humor -- combined with his knowledge of the game from playing catcher made him an intriguing candidate, especially for a job like Cleveland's."

Terry Francona stepped down from the Guardians' head job after 11 seasons with the franchise. In the legendary coach's absence, Passan reports that Cleveland has considered numerous candidates, both internal and external.

Now, Vogt appears to occupy the front of the line.

MLB Rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto wants to sign with a contender

Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to make his way to the MLB next season. The talented right-handed pitcher could command around $200 million, which is a steep price several teams appear willing to pay.

The New York Mets have been floated as potential frontrunners for a while, and it would appear their chances of luring Yamamoto to the Big Apple are strong — even with Billy Eppler, who recruited Shohei Ohtani to Los Angeles and Kodai Senga to New York, no longer with the franchise. Steve Cohen is a big spender, but more importantly, the Mets appear to have the ideal setup for Yamamoto.

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Yamamoto covets the ability to play in a big market. New York is the biggest market. And, while some Japanese players are hesitant to play with other Japanese players in the MLB due to the country's hierarchal culture, Yamamoto is known to have an open mind. Senga has also expressed a desire to play with Yamamoto to Mets leadership.

Also important to Yamamoto, according to Sammon, is the potential for swift individual success.

"People familiar with Yamamoto's thinking suggest he wants to go where he believes he can be most successful and adjust the fastest."

The Mets have a strong track record in that regard. Senga adjusted seamlessly to the Mets' rotation last season and, by year's end, he was the team's No. 1 pitcher following the trades of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. So, it would appear that New York can put together a strong pitch based on Yamamoto's desires.

Other teams will be in the mix — the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs stand out based on Yamamoto's wishlist — but the Mets are the MLB's most aggressive spenders. If Cohen wants Yamamoto in the clubhouse, it would appear that the Mets are favorably positioned.

MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger ranked as top Braves free agent target

The Atlanta Braves season ended in disappointment with yet another NLDS loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. It's clear the roster is good enough to contend — eight All-Stars and the most powerful offense of all time is no joke — but there's a missing piece. Maybe that piece is just... more offense.

In a ranking of the best potential free agent targets for Atlanta, Sports Illustrated scribe Lindsay Crosby points to Cody Bellinger as the third-best option behind Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, neither of whom is guaranteed to consider the Braves (or be within their price range).

"The 2019 MVP has seemingly rebuilt his value with a fantastic statistical year in Chicago, batting .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, and is hitting the free agent market just months after his 28th birthday, looking for a long-term deal. I've personally still got doubts that he's back to his peak, as his underlying data isn't great - a 22nd percentile average exit velo of 87.9 mph, 33rd percentile chase rate of 31.0%, and a combined 27th percentile barrel rate (6.1%) and 10th percentile hard hit rate (31.4%)."

As Crosby notes, teams should be cautious about spending top dollar on Bellinger, who preceded his dominant Cubs renaissance with the two worst seasons of his career. He slashed .307/.356/.525 last season. In 2021, his final campaign with the Dodgers, Bellinger slashed .210/.265/.389.

One has to imagine his "normal" output probably falls somewhere in the middle, but Bellinger is still 28 years old and he's a former MVP. His peak, when he's there, is undeniable. It's simply a matter of whether or not he operates at that level on a consistent basis.

Bellinger is expected to command in the ballpark of $150 million. The Braves have a lot of mouths to feed financially — and perhaps some larger priorities than left field — but Bellinger is, without question, a major talent. If the Braves want to get bold, he's another potential slugger for opposing pitchers to fret about.