While the big national news for the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday was Stephen Vogt winning American League Manager of the Year in back-to-back seasons, the organization also made a move to fill a vacant spot on the coaching staff.

Reports indicated that Cleveland had hired Seattle Mariners assistant GM Andy McKay as their new field coordinator, taking over for Kai Correa, who departed for the New York Mets earlier this offseason.

It’s an interesting hire, considering McKay was in a front office role, and will now transition to the dugout, but Vogt spoke very highly of him when asked about the new member of his coaching staff on Tuesday evening. 

“Yeah, we're really excited to add Andy McKay to our staff, you know, a longtime college coach. He's got some coaching experience in the big leagues with the Rockies, and then for the last 10 years, [he’s] been with Seattle, in their player development and front office,” said Vogt. 

“Andy McKay is so much more than just that. He's a mentor, he's a phenomenal coach, I got to know him, obviously, through the hiring process in Seattle, and working for him, he helped me develop as a coach, and Andy really is going to bring some great ideas for our team, for our players to get better, and for our organization as a whole."

Vogt continued, "He's wanted to get back into the dugout for a long time, and went through the rigorous Cleveland interview process and we just couldn't be more thrilled to add Andy. He's going to add a lot to our team and to our staff.”

While the Guardians are still waiting to see exactly what type of impact McKay will have on the organization and team, many Mariners fans were sad to see him leave and said it was a big loss, which could be a good thing for Cleveland. 

When Cleveland lost Correa in October, there was certainly a question of whether the Guardians would promote someone within the organization or seek an outside hire. Now, we have our answer. 

Hiring McKay is the perfect blend of bringing someone in who Vogt already has an established relationship with, while still adding someone who could provide a fresh perspective to the organization.