Rumors are Chris Getz will replace Nick Capra as director of player development. The White Sox drafted Getz in 2005 and traded him to the Royals in 2009.
The Chicago White Sox will add Chris Getz to their front office, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The organization is not commenting on the hiring, but MLB sources say it should happen sometime this week. He will replace Nick Capra as director of player development. Capra was promoted to third-base coach on Rick Renteria’s coaching staff.
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The White Sox drafted Getz in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. He started 107 games in 2009 and had two home runs, 31 RBIs and 25 stolen bases while hitting .261.
The Kansas City Royals traded for him and he mainly served as a utility player. His time with the Royals was plagued by injuries but he did play 118 games in 2011. During the 2014 offseason he signed a minor league contract with Toronto. He retired after 2014 season and joined the front office of the Royals as an assistant in their player development department.
Again, this team went with someone who is familiar with the organization. It’s no surprise they would look to Getz, who was drafted by the organization. You can consider him somewhat of an outsider because he hasn’t been with the team since 2009. However, he will be very familiar with the organization and how it operates.
This could be a good thing or a bad thing. A good thing because Getz is already familiar with how this organization is run. Bad because he knows a lot about how the front office operates. Again, this is another hire by Jerry Reinsdorf of someone who already has experience with this team. While Getz has played with two other teams, he came up through the Sox system. Reinsdorf probably feels he found another guy who will be a loyal soldier to him. After all, this team gave Getz his first shot in the big leagues.
On the flip side, the Royals are a phenomenal organization and do a great job developing their talent. They won a World Series last year and they don’t spend as much as the bigger markets. Maybe Getz can bring some knowledge from them that can help the Sox return to glory. It’s not a sexy hiring by any means but I don’t know a director of player development who is. Still, Getz is 33 years old, so there is hope he can develop his skills and turn into a great front office executive.
It’s always nice to have former players be a part of your coaching staff or front office. These guys know how long and grueling a season can be. They can also pass along very helpful information to your younger guys. It’s no surprise when teams invite former players to be instructors at their training camps and during spring training.
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Getz may have not been an all-star but he was still a solid player to spend seven years in the league. Hopefully he can pass on some of what he learned to the younger guys and help improve their player development.