George Lombard would be an excellent choice too.
Lombard nearly got the Detroit Tigers managing job back in the 2020 hiring cycle. It instead went to A.J. Hinch, who was only available after Reinsdorf hijacked the Sox manager search and hired La Russa.
The Tigers brass thought so much of Lombard that they asked Hinch to add George to his staff. Lombard has become a trusted coach for one of the best skippers in the game.
The players love him, and he has helped develop players such as Riley Greene into good ballplayers.
“We have one of the best coaches in baseball,” Hinch said. “George Lombard, head and shoulders above a lot of coaches in the league in my eye. … When and if Riley Greene gets here, having George be the first outfield coach in his big-league career is gonna be really good for him.”
The Sox have always been a terrible baserunning team and Lombard could fix that as he has been in charge of the Tigers' attack. He is known as a detailed coach with his work on the Tigers' outfield.
He did make it to the show even though his career lasted 144 games. He has worked in player development roles for the Atlanta Braves and Red Sox before heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers to be their first base coach.
Lombard would come from a division rival and the last time the Sox did that; it was a disaster. However, Lombard played in the big leagues whereas Grifol did not. George has a more diverse coaching background than Pedro.
If you get someone with ties to the Dodgers and A.J. Hinch, you are likely to avoid getting another manager in over his head like Pedro Grifol.
One other reported leading candidate is current Dodgers' first base coach Clayton McCullough who replaced Lombard in that role.
#Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough is still a serious candidate for the #WhiteSox managerial job per @MLBBruceLevine. He noted that George Lombard and Will Venable have already interviewed.
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) October 19, 2024
You have to wonder if McCullough is among the finalists, as Bruce Levine is a local reporter while Heyman is a national one. Even if McCullough is a finalist, Venable and Lombard have better credentials.
However, McCullough would be a better hire than Nevin as at least those three would eliminate any sense of dysfunction in the front office.