White Sox could have new manager this week
Baseball’s general managers are meeting in San Antonio next week. White Sox general manager Chris Getz is aiming to have his first managerial hire done by then.
Getz and staff have been busy interviewing since the end of the team’s 41-121 season, casting a wide net as chairman Jerry Reinsdorf promised on the last day of a season that saw the Sox set the modern-era record for losses under Pedro Grifol (28-89) and interim skipper Grady Sizemore (13-32).
At least 11 candidates have been connected to the job, according to the Sun-Times and various reports: Sizemore, Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso, Rangers bench coach Donnie Ecker, Padres special assistant A.J. Ellis, Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann, Tigers bench coach George Lombard, Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough, former Angels manager Phil Nevin, former Orioles, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Yankees and Mets manager Buck Showalter, former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker and Rangers associate manager Will Venable.
McCullough, who is two wins away from getting a World Series ring, and Ellis are no longer in the running, according to an ESPN report Sunday, and Ecker reportedly is off the list, too.
Venable and Nevin are widely regarded as strong candidates, assuming Schumaker is waiting for a better offer. Early on in the search process, Sox players were hearing Sizemore was a viable candidate.
“Chris is well underway with this search,” Reinsdorf said Sept. 29. “He has identified the key attributes and preferences for our next manager and has already begun an exhaustive search with a wide range of candidates to lead the White Sox in the clubhouse and dugout.”
When Grifol was fired in early August, Getz said the new manager would come from outside the organization. Sizemore, who was promoted in his first year as a major-league coach, showed enough leadership skill and was endorsed by players despite the continued losing, allowing Getz to declare Sizemore, 42, a candidate.
With 222 losses in the last two seasons, and as Reinsdorf plans to trim payroll again against the backdrop of having discussions about possibly selling the team while seeking to get a new ballpark, the Sox have plenty of issues swirling around the organization.
What’s known for certain is the Sox have a significant rebuilding task ahead, no alluring circumstance for a proven manager such as Schumaker, the National League manager of the year in 2023. Terry Francona came out of a short absence after managing the Guardians to take the Reds job, leaving only the Sox’ and Schumaker’s vacated job in Miami as currently open.
Teams often wait till after the World Series is completed to announce news of this magnitude. With the Dodgers leading the Yankees 2-0 as the series shifts to New York on Monday, it could be over by Tuesday. A Game 7 would be Saturday.
While this will be Getz’s first hire, as assistant GM to Rick Hahn, he was instrumental in hiring Grifol before the 2023 season, having a strong connection when Getz and Grifol were in the Royals’ organization.
“Our organization’s most important decision in the coming months is to evaluate and identify a new manager and leadership voice for this organization,” Reinsdorf said.