Chicago White Sox are the only team without a manager

The Chicago White Sox are hoping that being last would help them become first. Following the Kansas City Royals hiring of former Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, the White Sox find themselves as being the last team in need of a manager.

Prior to that, the Texas Rangers filled their vacancy with Bruce Bochy and the Miami Marlins went with Skip Schumacher from the St. Louis Cardinals.

It has been almost a month since Tony La Russa announced he would be stepping down as White Sox manager and the process of finding his successor is no clearer now than it was when the search started.

MLB.com reports general manager Rick Hahn will not comment on the search until La Russa’s replacements have been found.

Miguel Cairo, who filled in for La Russa during his medical leave, was said by Hahn to be someone the team would interview. However, it is not known if that has happened yet.

The Chicago White Sox are the last MLB team looking for a new manager.

Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada did an interview with them but according to MLB.com, he will not be offered the job. Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol reportedly also had a chance for face time with White Sox brass.

Early on Monday, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported the White Sox are turning their attention to New York Yankees hitting coach Carlos Mendoza.

The 42-year-old spilt up his 12 years of professional ball between the San Francisco Giants and Yankees farm systems before breaking into the coaching ranks in 2009 in the Bronx Bombers farm system.

While Ron Washington’s name has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, the one that keeps popping up around town is former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

What this means is nobody really knows for sure what is going on, who the frontrunners are, and who has the inside track on getting the job.

Speculation has run rampant over the last few weeks and despite what “insiders” might tell you, the only ones who really know what’s going on are Hahn, team president Kenny Williams, and assistant general manager Chris Getz.

If there is a consensus about anything, it is that the team has to make the right hire to get this team to the next level.

While that seems obvious, the White Sox runs under the likes of Robin Ventura, Rick Renteria, and La Russa have not exactly put the team on a course to win a title. Through four years of a rebuilding process, the White Sox have two post season wins to show for their efforts.

The team has a public relations battle to fight since watching the season go down in flames and following that up with the announcement the team has canceled SoxFest for the third year in a row.

Nonetheless, the front office needs to find the best manager for the job regardless of what public perception of it will be.

The only way to set things right and get fans excited about the team again will be to find someone who will correct its mistakes and lead it back into the postseason for a run at the World Series.