Elephant Rumblings: Coaching Carrousel continues

Happy Tuesday, all!

Yesterday afternoon we were hit with a flurry of managerial news seemingly all at once. First, it was reported that the Cleveland Guardians had agreed to bring in long-time Athletic Stephen Vogt to take over for future Hall-of-Famer Terry Francona:

We believe, too! Cleveland is getting a good one in Vogt, who was always considered a future manager candidate. Even though he doesn’t have any managerial experience in pro ball, he was on the Seattle Mariners’ staff this year and has 10 years of MLB experience behind the plate. Tough act to follow in Tito but Vogty should be fine.

And just for fun:

The New York Mets made the next move of the day, and it was a bit of a surprise. Once considered the obvious front runners for star manager Craig Counsell, the Mets instead were next to announce their new manager. It wasn’t Counsell and a record-breaking contract like most expected. Instead, the Mets will now be led by former Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza, their second choice:

There isn’t a whole lot to go on with Mendoza other than he’s been an intriguing target for teams in the past too. While it might not be the flashy hire that was expected with Counsell, the Mets believe they have their man. Now the question is if he can guide a high-payroll team to the playoffs and beyond.

Next up was the big kahuna. Manager Craig Counsell, who had managed the Milwaukee Brewers for the past nine seasons, has made the decision to jump ship for the division rival Chicago Cubs:

The obvious immediate repercussion is that Chicago already had a manager in David Ross. Well, they’ve shown him the door and fired him. It’s an unceremonious end for a beloved manager that kept a less-talented Cubs team i playoff contention. Even more harsh considering how integral Ross was to the team’s drought-breaking 2016 World Series. Alas, when you have a chance to bring in a young stud manager like Counsell you take it. He’ll now manage the Cubs for at least the next five seasons.

As of this writing, there are now four managerial openings remaining in baseball: the Angels, Astros, Brewers, and Padres. Two AL West teams. The Astros have an obvious in-house candidate but owner Jim Crane might make a bold move and make a different choice. Los Angeles is reportedly looking for an experienced manager and signs are pointing toward Buck Showalter. The Padres are reportedly interested in the just-fired David Ross. And the Brewers are left to pick up the pieces after their prized manager left for their division rival. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds over the coming weeks!

MLB News & Interest:

• Cubs hire Craig Counsell as new manager
• Mets hire Carlos Mendoza as new manager
• Guardians hire Stephen Vogt as new manager
• Where things stand with final four managerial openings
• Diamondbacks extend manager Torey Lovullo
• Athletics claim former top prospect Miguel Andujar off waivers
• Braves pick up Charlie Morton option for ‘24
• Seven players receive Qualifying Offer
• Pitcher Domingo German refuses assignment, becomes FA
• “50/50 chance” Alonso or Soto get traded this off-season
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

:/

He’s still got it:

Congrats, Marcus! Miss ya, bud:

Ugh. The day is creeping up on us…