3 things to like about the Chicago White Sox manager search
The Chicago White Sox are reaching out to some qualified candidates.
The Chicago White Sox's search for a new manager has been a long and extensive one.
That is a good thing.
The list of reported candidates and targets are up to nine, with one former four-time manager of the year also reportedly angling for the job.
That is also a good thing too.
So much for no one wanting to take over a club that just lost a record-setting 121 games. Even though the team could be for sale and is desperately trying to modernize, this is still one of just two available jobs on the market among just 30 in the big leagues.
The hope is this process does not spit out another Pedro Grifol. It looks like this go-around with a different person in charge will hopefully avoid that. However, there is still the threat of general manager Chris Getz settling on removing the interim tag from Grady Sizemore. Shadow GM and team advisor Tony La Russa could also hijack the process too.
At the same time, there are three things to like about this hiring process...
The Sox are targeting candidates from successful organizations.
Josh Nelson and James Fegan from SoxMachine.com have reported the team has reached out to coaches from the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Detroit Tigers.
This is on top of local radio station, 670 the Score, baseball's beat reporter Bruce Levine reporting that one of their top targets comes from the Dodgers organization.
These are organizations the Sox should tap into as Chris Getz tries to update the front office. If he is looking for a partner to pull off the biggest turnaround, he should hire someone from teams that are either forward-thinking or act like the Sox should.
It would be nice for the Sox to draft and develop talent like the Dodgers do and then spend money to put themselves over the top. The Rangers construct a power-hitting lineup in the manner the White Sox should.
It would be great if the Sox also acted freely despite being in a small market, such as the Padres. A.J. Hinch should have been hired by the Sox in 2020. Look at how the Tigers have benefited from the Sox's miss.
Getz might know what he is doing.
He is reportedly targeting Rangers associate coach Will Venable. It is unlikely he is leaving Texas since he is the assumed replacement for whenever Bruce Bochy retires. Still, it is bold thinking on Getz's part.
In addition, candidates such as Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Rangers bench coach Donnie Ecker sound like they might actually be good managers.
Lombard almost got the Tigers' job when it went to his current boss. The organization was so impressed by Lombard that they asked Hinch to add him to their staff. Now, Hinch considers him a valuable right-hand man.
Ecker knows a thing or two about getting the best out of a lineup. He was the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants when they had an aging lineup and scored 800 runs in 2021 on their way toward winning 107 games.
Then he was the offensive coordinator of a Rangers offense that poured in runs to win the 2023 World Series. The Sox could use his leadership perspective too.
Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann also might have had a better apprenticeship in Los Angeles than Clayton McCullough, the top target that Levine reported. There is nothing wrong if the Sox decide to hire the Dodgers' first base coach, but Lehmann has a background as a video scout, game-planning coach, and now bench coach.
Getz is taking his time.
The Sox job has been opened since August when Grifol was fired. Since then, Getz has been deliberate in the process and that is a good thing.
Not only should a wide net be cast, but also the process should not be rushed.
They can also be patient because this is one of only two jobs on the market right now. The Marlins are also interested in Lombard, so if the Sox want him and Miami does too, that could speed up the process.
The White Sox also do not have to decide until after the World Series. That is when the offseason officially starts. That means the Sox have plenty of time to still talk with other candidates.
It would be nice for Getz to discuss the opening with some coaches with the Cleveland Guardians, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays. Although maybe they have, but it has not been reported.
It would also be good for the Sox to talk with coaches from the New York Mets and Yankees. John Gibbons was Getz's last big-league skipper and has extensive managing experience too.
That is why being patient in this process is so valuable and why it is important to like how this process is going. However, there is still a chance this ends up with the wrong person getting the job. This is the White Sox we are talking about.
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