Rays manager Kevin Cash ‘happy here’ amid Guardians speculation

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash addressed talk that he would consider replacing Terry Francona as manager of the Cleveland Guardians this offseason.

"I'm very happy here," Cash told reporters Monday. "I'm under contract here and looking forward to next year, for sure."

Reporter Peter Gammons indicated in a radio interview in Cleveland last Friday that Tampa Bay was "a little concerned" Cash would bolt.

Cash worked for Francona as Cleveland's bullpen coach in 2013-14 before accepting the Rays' managerial position.

Cash, 45, has guided the Rays to a combined 739-617 record in his nine years on the job. They won the American League pennant in the pandemic-abridged 2020 season before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Since then, the small-payroll Rays have failed to win a playoff series despite winning 100 games in 2021 and 99 in 2023. The Texas Rangers swept Tampa Bay 2-0 last week in the AL wild-card round.

Francona, 64, stepped down after 11 years as Cleveland's manager. Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has said Francona will still serve the club in some capacity moving forward.