Cleveland Guardians: Exploring 4 manager options for 2022 and beyond

Sandy Alomar Jr., Cleveland Indians First Base Coach

Another internal candidate that could draw a lot of interest is Sandy Alomar Jr. While DeMarlo Hale has been the interim this year, Alomar served in the same role last year and saw a lot of success. Alomar managed the majority of the shortened season that saw Cleveland finish 35-25, including a postseason appearance.

Alomar is one of the longest tenured coaches in the system, joining the club before even Francona. Alomar was part of Manny Acta’s staff and served as the interim when Acta was let go. He’s served in multiple roles during his time with the club, predominately being the first base coach.

A former catcher for Cleveland, Alomar has been a fan favorite and has long been viewed as the future manager of the club. He’s a player-favorite in the clubhouse and knows the game well, especially in Cleveland.

Hale’s showing this season complicates things a bit, but Alomar still seems like the internal favorite for a long-term manager option. Hale stepping up this year made sense for minimal changes to the staff, but in the big picture Alomar seems like the better fit in Cleveland. Especially considering a new era will be starting up with the Cleveland Guardians. A new, young manager that’s popular among fans and players alike, but won’t change too much around the team seems to fit the bill.