White Sox: 3 possible replacements for Pedro Grifol
The Chicago White Sox are in a bad spot. They are a month into the season and they are already looking like they are lost for the year.
None of this is Pedro Grifol's fault. He hasn't been an amazing manager so far early in his career but the flawed roster built by Rick Hahn is the main issue. He needs to be fired soon too.
However, if they fire the GM, there is a chance that they also fire the manager and it would make complete sense.
If the White Sox did make a crazy move like that to get rid of Grifol this quickly, they are going to need a replacement. One of these three options could be on the table:
1. Charlie Montoyo
Charlie Montoyo is someone who has already been an MLB manager.
The Chicago White Sox hired Charlie Montoyo to be the bench coach under Pedro Grifol ahead of the 2023 season. Well, if they let Grifol go, Montoyo is someone that could be a replacement option.
Before getting this job as the bench coach, Montoyo was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. While he was the manager there, they had a fair amount of regular-season success.
They were bad in 2019 but had plenty of talent on the rise. Then the 2020 short season came and went but the Jays were in the playoffs to the surprise of some people.
In 2021, they were 91-71 but fell short of the playoffs because of the fact that the AL East was so strong that year. It was still a really good year for his club nonetheless.
In 2022, Montoyo was fired after 88 games and a 2-9 stretch from his team. They were still 46-42 which had them in the race so they made a move. They did end up making the postseason which is something the White Sox were unable to say. He will manage in MLB again one day.
2. Ozzie Guillen
The White Sox probably should have hired Ozzie Guillen in the first place.
Ozzie Guillen is the most successful manager in the history of the franchise as he is the only living person to ever manage them to a World Series title.
A lot of time had passed following his departure from the team but his name was in the hat to be hired again during the off-season. They chose Grifol but that might have been a mistake.
if they hired Ozzie right now, that could be the boost that the team needs to get back into contention. If they rattle off a big month they can be right back in the race and Ozzie has done it before.
As a host of pre and postgame on NBC Sports Chicago in addition to his pure love with the team makes it clear that he knows the team well. He is a fitting person for the job and everyone (including the fans) would be rejuvenated with a move like this.
3. AJ Pierzynski
The White Sox might want to take a big risk with their next manager.
AJ Pierzynski is one of the more beloved players in the history of the Chicago White Sox. He is a legend for helping the 2005 squad winning the World Series.
Since his career has ended, he has dipped his feet into the media side of things. He has been an analyst on TV and now he does great things with a podcast of his own.
He is clearly a very knowledgable person with a great White Sox passion. It would be really cool to see him become a Major League manager one day. We've seen a lot of great catchers go on to become amazing MLB managers in the past. AJ might be someone to consider.
This one is a bit more of a dart at the wall than the other two but he feels like a person that would make sense for this job. Don't be surprise if he tries it one day whether it is with the White Sox or someone else.
The White Sox are unlikely to make a managerial change this season but it is interesting to think about who may come in should they make that type of move this year.
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark