The 2024 White Sox season has continued a trend of ineptitude stemming from the end of the short, short contention window. The Pedro Grifol era (which has absorbed most of it) has been an unmitigated disaster. I haven’t done a lot of Pedro content lately, mainly because I am solidly out on him and no need to beat a dead horse. I did note in the off-season why I think the White Sox would keep him heading into 2024. You can view that discussion below. It is 16 mins so probably tl;dr.

And while I don’t think the White Sox are going to launch him soon, I do think that the the 2024 season will be his last in the dugout on 35th and Shields. This has my mind wandering as to what will the White Sox do to replace ole Pedro? I know nothing about how teams pick managers. Further, I know nothing about what makes a good MLB manager. So this blog will be more about what I think Chris Getz might want in a manager and then surveying the landscape for those guys.

What would Chris Getz GM want in a manager?

We aren’t a full calendar year into the Chris Getz GM tenure and I think some information about what he likes is starting to emerge. He definitely likes to fill the dugout and front office with former players as much as he possibly can. His two key front office hires, Brian Bannister and Josh Barfield are both MLB fraternity. The dugout and minor league staff is also filling up with former players who he has taken a shine to, so I’ll go out in a limb and say that next White Sox manager will be a former player.

Given the situation and the way GM Getz spoke all off-season I think prioritizing a communicator is probably high on the list. Not only communication with the team, but someone that will be able to handle the media in an earnest way. One thing the Pedro Grifol era has brought us in bunches (other than losses on the field) is gaffs with messaging through the media and if anything the White Sox can use a manager that pleases that function in communicating with the fanbase.

Lastly, I assume this person will be young (relatively speaking). Let’s say 50 ish or younger as the sweet spot for what they’ll be looking for. Someone that is still fresh out of the game, but has been around to see the information revolution come through and can work in the environment. Closer to 40 than 50 is probably more optimal. I don’t think a crusty old manager will be the fit.

SIDE NOTE: This analysis also assumes that the GM won’t wilt under the pressure of his boss and hire back any old cronies of the chairman. If he does, while that will be comical, it won’t be what I am shooting for here.

The Internal Candidate

Sergio Santos

Former White Sox closer Sergio Santos seems to fit this bill. Getz tapped him to manage AA Birmingham for the 2024 season after he had managed at High-A in the New York Yankees organization. I can’t tell you much about his managerial skills (other than this little B-Ref cutout with some records).

What I can tell you is that Chris Getz is trusting him with the best crop of the White Sox prospects in 2024, a group that is vital to his success as GM. Oh and this sound byte below from Chuck Garfien on Bryan Ramos‘ promotion is pretty fucking cool.

Birmingham Barons manager Sergio Santos with a GREAT story about how he told Bryan Ramos he was being called up to the majors.

White Sox Talk Podcast: https://t.co/NZkLwcFmxy 🎙🎧 pic.twitter.com/ZVMk923ptP

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) May 7, 2024

The Outside the Box Journeyman

Benji Gil

Benji Gil isn’t coaching in MLB in 2024. He came in hot after managing team Mexico in both the 2020 Olympics and the 2023 WBC. Gil was an MLB journeyman and then cut his teeth coaching and managing baseball primarily in the Mexican League before the LA Angels of Anaheim (are they still called this?) gave him a call in 2022 to join their coaching staff.

However after the 2023 season, despite interviewing for both the Angels and Padres managers jobs, he was not retained by the Angels as part of Ron Washington’s staff. That’s reasonable given a brand new manager probably wanting his own people. Gil was reportedly very popular with the players and fans. And given the surprising performances he squeezed out of the Mexican National teams in world competition and his 4 Championships managing in the Mexican League, he seems to know how to maximize his given resources.

This would still be an outside the box hire with his limited MLB coaching resume, but the fact that he isn’t coaching anywhere currently he could pick up and hit the ground running mid-season if need be. Outside the Box has to be the Getz GM regime’s bread and butter.

The Dream Candidate

Will Venable

Will Venable has a ridonkulous pedigree. He spent time in the Cubs front office with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, then transitioned to the field for a couple of years. Subsequently he moved on to Boston as bench coach before moving to the Rangers before last season to sit caddy for Bruce Bochy and win a World Series as associate manager. He’s only 40 years old and has already turned down several interviews for managerial jobs with other teams. This looks like a situation where Venable knows he’s the hot girl at the dance, but would prefer to have a high end understudy role before he embarks on what is likely to be a long and successful managerial career.

So why on god’s green earth would he come to this shitshow? Well the honest truth is he probably wouldn’t. However, there is a small glimmer of hope that a young handsome GM like Getz could lure him with promise of more input and control over the entire operation than an organization that just won the World Series would ever consider offering a first time manager. Maybe Bochy gets comfy and won’t leave. Maybe Venable would like a world class city with a team with the lowest expectations on him ever? Okay, this most likely won’t happen, but it’s preferable to shoot high, it’s totally fine to dream.

With Venable, I doubt he’s interested in changing addresses until after the season, so that would require some Charlie Montoyo interim managing in the meantime. I am sure most of yous wouldn’t mind that one bit if we got the skipper of your choice.

Those are my shoot from the hip choices to replace a Pedro Grifol should he be relieved of his duties. Let me know who you’d like to see in the White Sox dugout either in the comments or on Twitter.

-BeefLoaf