Both Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa were integral pieces to the Cleveland Guardians’ success over the last two seasons. That’s why their departure from the organization for other, and in some ways better, opportunities around baseball came as a shock to many and left a massive void in the dugout.

Stephen Vogt and the front office were given the difficult task of replacing two highly regarded baseball minds, which led them to pair up with two members of the Seattle Mariners: Andy McKay and Tony Arnerich. 

The decision to hire these two wasn’t easy, and they weren’t the only people the Guardians considered for the job. Vogt recently discussed the process throughout and what went into adding Arnerich and McKay during a recent media interview.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously it was a, it was a group effort through the whole organization. I think we started with 32, 33 names for both positions. You know, the reference calls, background checks on a lot of guys, you know, word of mouth, did our own research, and then, you know, dwindled it down to a pretty good pool of candidates for both positions,” said Vogt. 

It is interesting to hear Vogt say that the Guardians had over 30 names on their initial list of potential candidates. We’ll probably never know who those people were, but it’s certainly interesting to know that so many others were once considered for each job.

With that, the Guardians ensured that they conducted thorough research and analysis to determine that Arenrich and McKay were the right individuals for the job.

“They went through the rigorous Cleveland hiring process and through a couple weeks and back and forth, we felt like we landed with two great people to add to our staff, and it was difficult,” continued Vogt. “I mean, it got close down the end. 
We had to make a really difficult decision, but felt like as a group, we came together to make the best decision for our players and for our group moving forward."

Another similarity between Arenrich and McKay in their background is their experience coaching at the collegiate level, which provides them with extensive experience in player development. 

"We were looking for people who could not only help with in-game decisions and helping with the tactical during the game, but also the technical development," said Cleveland's skipper. "We have an incredibly talented coaching staff already, and these are two partners to come in and help push and come up with new ideas."

It’s going to take some time for everyone to get on the same page, but it certainly feels like the Guardians are adding two people who will mold the organization and make a strong impact behind the scenes.