Turning leaves, crisp mornings, postseason baseball is in its prime, and the Chicago White Sox are searching for answers. Welcome back, October.
Unlike past years where the Sox take some time to reflect on the last season before instituting changes in the fall, this one is different for Chicago. The Sox can’t waste a minute without officially naming a new manager this October.
Coming off a losing season that broke the record for the most losses in baseball’s Modern Era, the Sox know that the next manager has their work cut out for them.
General Manager Chris Getz will be looking for someone to quickly and easily fit in with new staff, scouts, and players without mentorship. The ideal candidate will also have a rich background in player development, according to Getz’s interview with 670 The Score.
With the stakes higher than ever for an incoming manager in this century, six people from outside the Sox organization have emerged as the top candidates to be the next manager.
Here are the rankings for the Chicago White Sox manager candidates in descending order...
5. Phil Nevin - former Los Angeles Angels manager
Nevin brings a mixture of management experience to the table. He started his management career in 2008 with the Orange County Flyers, an independent baseball team before managing minor League teams within the Tigers and Diamondbacks organizations from 2010 through 2016. He accumulated a 518-564 record in the independent and minor leagues.
Nevin also managed the Angels for two years after Joe Maddon was dismissed in the middle of 2022. He left the Angels with a .444 winning percentage in 2023.
Despite his lengthy management track record, Nevin’s lack of success doesn’t paint a bright future for the Sox. His losing career record is concerning, especially at the minor league level. It’s hard to blame him for the Angels’ struggles with Mike Trout’s injuries and poor starting pitching, he’s not absolved of responsibility.
The potential optimism outweighs the results with Nevin, and the Sox would be wise not to pursue him.