The Chicago White Sox have decided who will take over a dugout that just experienced one of the worst seasons in MLB history.
The team announced on Thursday it hired former MLB outfielder Will Venable, who was the associate manager of the Texas Rangers behind Bruce Bochy, as the next manager on a multiyear deal. Venable will replace Pedro Grifol, who was fired in August.
“This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future,” Venable said in a statement. “It’s exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing. We want players who show up to work hard every day, but also smart baseball players who understand the nuances of the game. There is a rich tradition here and a fan base that deserves winning baseball, and I am excited to do whatever I can to help.”
The news broke via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin on Tuesday night, which was Venable’s birthday. It also broke right after the New York Yankees’ Game 4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, so never let it be said that the White Sox didn’t make headlines during the 2024 Fall Classic.
Venable, 42, played 967 games across nine years with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers over a nine-year MLB career, building a reputation as a great clubhouse presence even when he was working as a fourth outfielder.
After his playing days came to an end, Venable joined the Chicago Cubs as special assistant to then-team president Theo Epstein. The next three seasons, he served as a base coach for the team. In 2021, Venable was a bench coach for the Boston Red Sox, and he joined Bochy’s Rangers staff in 2022.
Venable became a World Series champion in 2023, when the Rangers won the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
What can Will Venable do for the White Sox?
Venable won’t find such a warm start on the south side of Chicago, to say the least.
We don’t need to run through every little ignominy the White Sox suffered in 2024, but it boils down to losing the most games in MLB history, with a 41-121 record that featured three losing streaks of at least 12 games. One of those was 21 games long, tying an AL record.
Every facet of the White Sox was a disaster in 2024. Their lineup? It scored the fewest runs in MLB, with 507, nearly 100 fewer than the next-worst Miami Marlins. Their baserunning? Bottom-10 in the league by Fangraphs’ base-running runs metric. Their rotation? It ranked 25th in MLB in ERA, at 4.62, despite two good arms in Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde. Their bullpen ERA? Third-worst in MLB, at 4.73. Their fielding? Dead last in defensive runs saved, at minus-87.
Venable has a lot of work to do, but he can also do only so much when the people most responsible for the Sox’s 2024 season are still in place. Jerry Reinsdorf still owns this team and almost certainly can’t be expected to spend the money it would take to turn the franchise into a regular contender, and general manager Chris Getz has been a key part of the team’s front office since 2017.
Still, Venable can do some good just by maintaining a positive clubhouse as the team braces for another rebuilding year.
