Elephant Rumblings: Vogt To The World Series? And When Will The A’s Pick Their GM?

Welcome to Tuesday A’s fans.

The Cleveland Guardians won the first game of the ALCS, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 thanks to some late offense. That’s put the Guardians just three games away from the World Series. Since the Cubs’ record-breaking World Series win 2016 (over Cleveland of all teams), the Guardians’ franchise is the holder of the second-longest championship drought across all four major American sports leagues at 78 years(!). Only the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals have gone longer since their last ring. Lots of the baseball world is pulling for them because no city should have to wait that long for a parade.

A’s fans are also rooting not only for their fellow low-spending club, that team’s skipper is longtime Athletic and beloved member Stephen Vogt, who suited up for the A’s from 2013 to mid-2017, and then wrapped his career with one more season in the Green & Gold. Though he’s retired, he hasn’t left baseball, the dugout, or A’s fans hearts.

Always regarded as a future manager, he got that first gig faster than a lot of people probably expected, only spending one year with the Seattle Mariners as their bullpen coach before getting the Guardians’ gig, replacing another strong manager in Terry Francona. High expectations when you’re taking over for a Hall of Fame manager like Tito but his time guiding the Guardians has been nothing short of exceptional. He’s now got his team just three wins away from the World Series in his third year managing the ballclub. A’s fans don’t have much to root for left in these playoffs except for some good baseball, but seeing our beloved Vogt win a ring would be nice to see. Just wish he was the one managing the A’s.

While the Fall Classic is fast approaching and with it the offseason, the A’s still don’t yet have their next voice in the front office selected. Former Athletic Sam Fuld reportedly was offered the President of Baseball Operations role but rejected that and will stay second-in-command in Philadelphia. Red Sox executive Taylor Smith is rumored to be the pick but until there’s confirmation we can’t say for sure one way or the other. It’s going to be really interesting to see which direction the A’s go. Do they stick with experienced options like Mike Rizzo or do they go after a young guy like Smith? Still lots of candidates to choose from and with the postseason getting closer to its end the A’s will need to be making this decision soon. Perhaps even today.

Second game of the ALCS starts at 5:00 West Coast time. Have a great day guys.

A’s Coverage:

• Pitching prospect Huggins growing his game with the help of this A’s Hall of Famer
• Phillies, Cubs executives reportedly among top Athletics GM candidates
• Matt Kleine, Rob Cerfolio Candidates In Athletics’ GM Search
• ’Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
• Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
• A’s mulling a few names to fill David Forst’s vacancy as GM
• Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
• 12 A’s Players Out of Options Heading Into 2027
• How MLB’s Proposed Changes Would Impact the A’s
• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Why 2027 Athletics Will Be Completely Different Team
• A’s Las Vegas ballpark cost rises to $2.1B, public funding delayed
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Athletics 2026 MLB Draft Report Card
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• Notes From Star-Studded Rockies-A’s Instructional League
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• Should Mark Kotsay return in 2027? A’s Players Weigh In
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Crew overcomes 3 deficits in seesaw Game 2, tightens grip on NLCS
• Dodgers to discuss sitting Ohtani for NLCS Game 3 (report)
• Contreras shines as Dodgers’ stars slump … and other key takeaways from Game 2
• Guards come up big late to rally past Rays in ALCS opener
• Hopkins in, Cleavinger out on Rays’ ALCS roster
• Guardians swap in Cecconi for Schneemann, bolstering staff for ALCS
• MLB teams using ABS challenges more frequently in postseason
• The Tigers’ Under-The-Radar Option Decision
• Reviewing The Rays, Angels, And Reds Three-Team Trade
• How The Rays Turned Bryan Baker Into An All-Star Closer
• Good News: Father and son bike to every MLB ballpark for charity
• 5 years after Rays stole Caminero from Guards, the question remains: HOW?
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Some interesting insight:

That’s one way to view it:

Seconded!

If Ohtani doesn’t show up, we’ll have a new team raising the trophy soon:

Yeah, Dodgers fans don’t want to ride or die.