Elephant Rumblings: Visiting Vogt vexed about Vegas

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

A’s former catcher and fan favorite Stephen Vogt paid his first visit to the Coliseum as a coach with the Seattle Mariners yesterday. Per Matt Kawahara at the San Francisco Chronicle, Vogt spoke to reporters before Tuesday’s game about how he loves his new role.

Vogt has widely been seen as well qualified to move into coaching, broadcasting, or a front office role after retiring as a player. He wasted no time, accepting an offer that was “too good to pass up” to join the Mariners as a bullpen coach after hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2022 regular season and working as an MLB analyst during the postseason.

Mariners manager Scott Servais commented that Vogt’s prospects to manage a team someday are promising—a view that many of us here at AN share.

Vogt, 38, is a Visalia native. He expressed sadness over the A’s recent tilt towards a Las Vegas relocation, and he was unambiguous in declaring that the team belongs in Oakland.

“It was a sad day when you hear that announcement. It’s the Oakland A’s. And I know that nothing’s final or nothing’s in stone. But it did, it stirred up a lot of memories.”

Stephen Vogt has shown himself to be a natural leader, and he has what it takes to succeed in coaching. It would be nice if he could talk some sense into A’s owner John Fisher or MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Then again, if those two aren’t moved by the torrent of bad press they’ve received lately, they’re probably immune to any good old fashioned common sense advice.

A’s Coverage:

• Toster: A’s botch Miller’s seven no-hit innings
• Willis: A’s place Aledmys Diaz on 10-day injured list, recall Nick Allen
• Kawahara: Stephen Vogt enjoys Mariners coaching role, sad about A’s potential move ($)

MLB News & Interest:

• McDonald: Phillies Reinstate Bryce Harper
• Franco and McDonald: Mariners Designate Tommy La Stella For Assignment
• The Athletic: MLB’s pitch clock is a success, but some still fear an injury reckoning is coming ($)
• Bowden: Underperforming MLB players, teams under the microscope in May: Who will bounce back? ($)
• Slusser: Mauricio Dubón clarifies postgame digs at Giants: ‘It was just certain people’ ($)
• McDonald: The Trade That Started The Current Era Of White Sox Baseball
• Today in Baseball History

Best of Twitter:

Silver linings.

Roster moves.

May update.

Martínez up and throwing.

Different town, same story.

Lots of fans missed a treat last night.

Shoring up the defense with Allen back in Oakland.

Rook-diculous.

I love it, though maybe stealing is a bit too easy now.