Rumor: White Sox Expected to Name Rick Renteria Manager
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox reportedly wanted Robin Ventura back in 2017. Now, rumors are they will name bench coach Rick Renteria as manager. Renteria managed the Cubs in 2014.
The Chicago White Sox are expected to name Rick Renteria their next manager, with an announcement expected Monday, Daryl Van Schouen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Renteria last managed the Cubs in 2014 and has been the team’s bench coach this season.
Robin Ventura had said on Wednesday he would wait until after this season to talk about his future. It seems like we have our answer. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the White Sox wanted to bring Ventura back and ultimately the decision would be up to him.
However, subsequent reports stated owner Jerry Reinsdorf highly respects him and didn’t want him fired. Making it seem like it was Ventura’s decision may be the organization’s way of letting him go quietly.
Renteria seems like an obvious choice to replace Ventura. He was 73-89 in his only season as a manager, but likely would still be managing the Cubs if Joe Maddon had not become available. His peers consider him a great baseball mind and some credit him with helping develop Anthony Rizzo and Startlin Castro.
Ventura has really come under fire this past season. It seemed like at times he could not manage the bullpen properly, and some of the decisions he made were perplexing. He also came under fire for not being a great tactician. Fans have been calling for his ouster all season, and it looks like they will get their wish. It won’t be a surprise if Ventura isn’t fired. What’s more likely to happen is they will say he didn’t want to renew his contract. And that’s because Reinsdorf absolutely loves him. According to reports he has become increasingly frustrated with the job.
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It seems like the White Sox have finally realized they need to make a change. Otherwise, this team would continue to struggle in the future. This definitely is a great move for the team and hopefully Renteria can get this team moving in the right direction. He is an experienced manager and obviously has been a great influence over some young players. When you get Rizzo’s endorsement, that must mean you’re good at what you do.
As for Ventura, he will be remembered most for his first season where he went 85-77 and for his team’s quick 23-10 start. Other than that, his job as manager was very underachieving. We can argue all we want about how the front office seemingly didn’t put him in a position to win, but at the end of the day he couldn’t handle the job. What will be more interesting is if a new manager will give Hahn and Williams another year at the helm.
To me, this is definitely a sign that they will because historically, new regimes have been allowed to hire their own managers. After all, Theo Epstein hired Renteria and then fired him after one year on the job. The White Sox are getting an upgrade at manager but fans will have to wait at least another season before we see an upgrade in the front office. In the short term, this looks like a great move and hopefully will help get the organization back on track.