3 managerial candidates that could replace Pedro Grifol if the White Sox decide to move on
These are the three managers the White Sox should be interested in if they fire Pedro Grifol.
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.
2. John Farrell
The former Red Sox manager who won the World Series in 2013, Farrell could be a well-experienced manager who could give the Southsiders some stability as they look to move onto the next phase post-rebuild. He has a career .517-win percentage and had back-to-back 93-win seasons in 2016 and 2017.
If Grifol were to get fired, the team may want to look for a coach who has head coaching experience, and Farrell would be one of the candidates with the best resume looking for a new job.
He hasn't managed a team since 2017 but that shouldn't be the deciding factor. The 61-year-old has big league experience as a player, playing with the Cleveland Indians, California Angels, and Detroit Tigers.
Farrell would be an interesting candidate for the job if he was interested. Managers who have coached more recently might have a better chance at getting the gig, but he certainly warrants a look.
3. Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia is one of the most underrated coaches of the past 20 years. He is a two-time Manager of the Year Award winner, won a World Series, and has had seven 90-plus win seasons. Not to mention, he also has a great coaching tree.
Successful managers Bud Black, Joe Maddon, and Ron Roenicke have come from the Scioscia led Angels organization. It is not evident that Scioscia wants to return to coaching, but there would be no better choice available to lead the Southsiders if the team were to move on from Pedro Grifol.
Scioscia, similar to Farrell, has been out of the league for a few years as a manager. This could cause an issue for the White Sox as they could be interested in adding a new, young manager.
If Scioscia was to be the next manager, the White Sox, at the very least, would be a good regular season team. He always had elite regular-season teams but did have his postseason struggles at times.
For White Sox fans now, they can deal with some playoff struggles if the team is competing.