We are nearly two weeks removed from the Seattle Mariners moving on from former manager Dan Wilson, and we have yet to hear any real movement on the M's job candidate front.

That's not necessarily surprising, as Jerry Dipoto indicated that the search for the next manager would be exhaustive, and of course, potential candidates might still be involved in playoff runs which would make their hiring delayed.

And while his hiring remains unlikely at this time, there is one name generating some scuttle for the position: Cleveland Guardians manager Steven Vogt.

That might surprise you, considering Vogt has a job and is under contract, but let's examine a little deeper.

Still just 41 years old, Vogt was a two-time All-Star as a player. He spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves, hitting .239 lifetime with 82 home runs. He made the All-Star team in 2015 and 2016.

When his playing days were done, he jumped into coaching, serving as the bullpen coach and quality control coach for the Mariners in 2023. He surprisingly got the Guardians managerial job in 2024, and he's won back-to-back American League Manager of the Year Awards. He's been to the playoffs in all three seasons.

He's gone 265-220 in three regular seasons.

Well, Vogt reportedly signed a contract extension ahead of the 2025 season, so he's under contract. In order to get Vogt to be their manager, the Mariners would have to trade for him, in the same way the M's once dealt Lou Piniella to the Rays.

Since Vogt is under contract, the Guardians have the right to say no in the same way they would about a player trade.

Only he can answer that at this point, and no one knows if the Mariners are actually interested. Vogt has worked for the organization before, and they've worked with him, so there's an obvious connection. Vogt also makes his offseason home in Washington, so there's a family connection. His wife is from Olympia.

Furthermore, the Guardians have not been to the World Series in his tenure and are consistently near the bottom of the league in payroll. If Vogt thinks that his chances with Cleveland have peaked, then maybe he'd entertain a change of scenery.

The Guardians are currently tied 2-2 in the American League Division Series with the Chicago White Sox. If they lose, perhaps leaving becomes easier. Again, only he knows.

ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney was a guest on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast, and had this to say:

"I mean, it doesn't hurt to call. You ask for permission. I'm sure that would lead Chris Antonetti, who's the head of baseball operations for the Guardians, to go down and have a conversation with Stephen Vogt, either to explain why he told the Mariners to go take a flying leap, depending on how he feels about it, or basically feeling out Stephen Vogt saying 'hey, what do you want in your career?' I don't know which way Chris would go on that.

I know this: the gold standard in the sport right now for hiring, people always look at the Rays, the Guardians and the Brewers. And Stephen Vogt was someone who's extremely valued in the Cleveland organization.

And if the Mariners were to pursue him. You could understand why.

I just wonder with the manager under contract, whether or not the Guardians would actually be open-minded to it, I don't know."