Pedro Grifol had a nightmare start to his head coaching career this past season. After promising fans that the team would play with a fire and passion to win, the Chicago White Sox finished the year 61-101, good for the fourth-worst record in Major League Baseball.
However, Grifol will be back for the 2024 season, but there is no guarantee that he will finish out the season or be back the next year if the team has another 100-plus loss season. The following managers are candidates the White Sox should consider replacing Grifol with if they do decide to look for a new voice in the clubhouse.
1. Charlie Montoyo
In this scenario, the White Sox don’t look too far, but look within. Charlie Montoyo was hired to be the team’s bench coach when the club hired Grifol. He was the former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, where he led the team to the post-season in 2020, losing to the eventual runner-up Tampa Bay Rays. He also led the Blue Jays to a 91-win season in 2021.
The most realistic scenario for Montoyo to be the White Sox manager is if Grifol is fired mid-season and Montoyo is promoted to interim manager. If he performs well in this scenario, he could be given the full-time gig.