GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Manager Stephen Vogt was going to wait until Wednesday to give his tone-setting speech to the Guardians for spring training and the regular season.
The Major League Baseball Players Association was scheduled to visit the Guardians on Tuesday to start its annual trek through the spring-training camps. Vogt didn’t think his message would carry the same punch after the players listened to the union’s update on a possible work stoppage following the upcoming season when the basic agreement expires.
However, when MLBPA canceled the meeting following the resignation of executive director Tony Clark, Vogt was able to rearrange his schedule.
The message was a familiar one.
“We’re here for one thing … that’s to win a World Series,” said Vogt. “That’s going to be the goal as long as I’m here.”
The Guardians have not won a World Series since 1948. It is the longest drought in the big leagues.
Vogt says he tries to be as consistent as he can with his message.
“For me this is why we’re here,” said Vogt. “We have to go set the tone for the year. Now we have to go and back it up. And myself, I have to go back it up.”
Don’t upset the boss
OF Stuart Fairchild, in camp on a minor league deal, was a teammate of Vogt’s in 2021 with Arizona.
In fact, Fairchild made his big-league debut by pinch running for Vogt and scoring the winning run on July 6, 2021.
Vogt was asked about that Tuesday. He laughed and said, “It’s offensive that I got pinch-run for. I didn’t remember that. I’ll have to touch him up on that. Make him take a lap for that.”
Easy does it
Vogt said relievers Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis will be “slow-played” at the start of the Cactus league season because of their workload.
In the last two years, Smith has made 162 appearances, counting the postseason, while pitching 162 1/3 innings. Gaddis has made 162 appearances, including the postseason, in 161 1/3 innings over the same two seasons.
No loitering
Vogt’s philosophy that everyone on the roster plays will be on full display Saturday when the Guardians open the Cactus League season with split squad games against the Reds and Brewers.
The Guardians are expected to have 18 pitchers ready for both games.
“I broke the news to Carl (Willis) because I don’t want him to hit me,” said Vogt.
Vogt added that every position player who’s in big league camp or the depth camp will play Saturday. “That’s 36 players,” he said.
Saturday’s game against the Reds will be on Guardians TV.
Finally
The Guardians have so many outfielders in camp that CJ Kayfus is expected to get most of his playing time at first base. Last season Kayfus played 29 games in the outfield and 17 at first base … Vogt, a former catcher, is a fan of catchers going down to one knee behind the plate. He says it improves a catcher’s blocking ability, helps his throwing and is easier on the body.