Former White Sox infielder Danny Mendick takes on surprising new role

For the third time this offseason, a former White Sox player has made the leap from playing to coaching. Back in November, former White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton was hired by the Angels as a first base coach. OF Travis Jankowski only played in seven games for the White Sox a season ago, but he also made the transition to coaching this season, joining the Texas Rangers staff under new manager Skip Shumaker. Earlier this week, news broke that former White Sox infielder Danny Mendick will take over as manager of the Charleston RiverDogs, the Low-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mendick's improbable path to the big leagues

Mendick, 32, was a 22nd-round pick by the White Sox back in 2015. Solid minor league performance led to his ascent through the White Sox system, and he made his big league debut in 2019, posting a .787 OPS in a brief 16-game sample. Mendick spent time with the White Sox over the next three seasons, and his best performance came in 2022. Through 31 games, Mendick was slashing .289/.343/.443 and holding a .786 OPS, but an unfortunate ACL tear on a collision in the field ended his season prematurely. Mendick was non-tendered by the White Sox following the 2022 season and signed a deal with the New York Mets in free agency. He played just 35 games for New York with a batting average under .200

Mendick re-signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal prior to 2024 and appeared in 47 games for the team during the disastrous 2024 season. He struggled to regain his pre-injury form, and did not play in 2025. He’ll now shift his focus from playing to coaching and will join the Tampa Bay Rays organization in a managerial capacity. Charleston finished 68-62 in 2025, their third straight winning season under former manager Sean Smedley, but the organization elected to move on from Smedley in 2026 and chose Mendick to fill the role. Charleston’s 2026 roster will likely feature top Rays prospects like Daniel Pierce, Slater de Brun, Dean Moss, and Cooper Flemming. 

While a minor league manager role isn’t always a stepping stone to a future in a big league dugout, it’s an excellent place to start for Mendick. White Sox third base coach Justin Jirschele is an example of a coach working his way through the system and eventually making the major league staff. Player development is generally more important than wins and losses in a minor league setting, so Mendick's performance will likely be measured by individual player performance. A 22nd-round pick reaching the big leagues and making a career in baseball is always a fun story to root for, and Mendick always brought effort and energy to the White Sox lineup, making him easy to support.

I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the Charleston box scores this season and wishing for success for Danny.