Guardians’ Vogt says Albernaz will ‘thrive’ as Orioles manager

Tuesday’s introductory press conference for new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was unusual. No other first-time Oriole manager held a 2-year old in his lap during his first availability and never had a manager of another team attended one.

The relationship between Albernaz, who served as bench coach and associate manager for the Cleveland Guardians’ Stephen Vogt in 2024 and 2025, was a close one, and Vogt’s gesture stood out.

“We’ve had our goodbyes too over the phone and it’s hard,” Vogt said on Tuesday. “It’s hard when you work with someone so closely. We spent more time with each other than we did our wives over the last two years. When you get to do it with such a close friend, it’s special and the relationship will never be the same, right?

“You’re still going to have the same friendship, but you won’t have the closeness. But I couldn’t be more thrilled, and I’m just excited for him. He’s going to absolutely thrive.”

It’s not unusual for managers of opposing teams to be friendly. Even the notoriously all-business Orioles manager Buck Showalter acknowledged his affection for Don Mattingly, who was managing the Los Angeles Dodgers when the two met as managers for the first time in 2013.

“I like him, [but] I’m not going to like him for three days,” Showalter said.

The Orioles and Guardians meet in Cleveland from April 16^th-19^th.

“There’s going to be a lot of trash talk back and forth,” Vogt said. “But my least favorite phrase is ‘manage against.’ We manage our own teams. And that’s something that I’ve learned quickly, and I just couldn’t be more thrilled for him.

“It’s going to be really awkward and fun when we do play each other, but I’ll be rooting for the Baltimore Orioles except for seven times during the regular season. I know he’s going to thrive in this environment, and you’re all going to love him.”

Vogt became manager of the Guardians for 2024, and lured Albernaz from the San Francisco Giants with a role that carried great responsibility.

“He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever been around,” Vogt said. “The hours that he puts in, the time that he puts in, he’s prepared for everything. He’s over-prepared. He knows people and, again, a lot of this job that’s seen on TV is about 5 percent of what it takes, and the 95 percent that isn’t seen, he’s going to absolutely crush and bring people together and create an unbelievable winning culture here.”

Vogt was voted American League Manager of the Year in 2024 and is one of three finalists for the award again this season. He believes Albernaz was a big reason for it.

“I leaned on him a lot, especially early in 2024 when I’d never coached or managed a game, and he definitely made me think differently,” Vogt said. “He challenged me to think differently.”

Albernaz hasn’t named a bench coach yet. Robinson Chirinos was the team’s bench coach, but he’ll be elsewhere in 2026.

“It’s extremely important,” Vogt said. “You have to have somebody that will challenge you, that will never just agree. You have to argue, you have to get into almost quasi-fights, and then you hug it out at the end of the night, and it’s got to be — it’s a close relationship. It’s vital to have somebody to your left or to your right that will challenge you and support you.”

Vogt is certain Albernaz will be a good manager.

“He cares about the players,” Vogt said. “He obviously has been born to do this. He’s been in every position to prepare him to do this, but he will always put the players first and foremost, and that’s what’s going to help create that atmosphere and that culture here that is going to help them thrive.”

He gave Albernaz tips but doesn’t think he’ll need them.

“Be yourself, and it’s not even advice,” Vogt said. “It was a partnership that we got to do for two years. I think that’s something that we will both cherish. When you dream of something, when you’re catching live [batting practices] in big league spring training as the sixth and seventh catchers on the roster in Tampa Bay, and you think, man, it’d be really fun to coach together one day, and then you get to do it for two years?

“It’s two years that we will cherish forever and I’m going to miss him, and I hope he misses me. But at the same time, this is what he was born to do, and he’s going to absolutely thrive. Just be yourself.”

Notes: Pitchers and catchers participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic are scheduled to report to spring training on February 9^th. Position players in the WBC will report on February 12^th. Pitchers and catchers will report on February 11^th and position players on February 16^th. 

New at Ed Smith Stadium this year will be free admission to open practices on home dates with fans allowed access about four hours before game time.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.