Cleveland Guardians: Exploring 4 manager options for 2022 and beyond

Outside Hire

There’s obviously the option that Cleveland could completely wipe the slate clean to welcome in the new era. Terry Francona has had a lot of success in Cleveland. DeMarlo Hale has been able to keep what Francona started going. Sandy Alomar Jr. is a Cleveland favorite. However, the front office could opt for new blood in the dugout.

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Francona’s system has worked well, but perhaps the front office wants to go in a different direction. Hale and Alomar would bring their own ideas, but they’ve both been students of the game under Francona. If the front office wants a completely new approach, then hiring someone internally might not be the right choice.

The next wave of MLB managers is usually a bit harder to pinpoint than other sports, especially after Tony La Russa was hired this past offseason. That makes it seem like anyone could be an option. With a young roster, the Cleveland Guardians will need veteran leadership so a rookie manager from outside the organization might not be the best. However, the game is trending in a new direction so an older manager might not be the best either.

No matter the direction the front office decides to go, the decision won’t be easy. Luckily, there’s a lot of great candidates to choose from, which could actually end up making the decision even harder.