When the White Sox fired supervisor Pedro Grifol (together with bench coach Charlie Montoyo, assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar and third base coach Eddie Rodriguez), they handed Grady Sizemore the unenviable job of steering the ship for the rest of a traditionally inept season. The Sox are at present tied for the trendy period file with 120 losses and determine to ascertain a brand new benchmark for futility within the coming days. On the time Sizemore was elevated to the highest job within the dugout, basic supervisor Chris Getz plainly acknowledged that the Sox would conduct a managerial search and rent a brand new skipper from exterior the group after the season. It now appears that Sizemore will not less than be thought-about for the everlasting submit, nonetheless.
“Grady’s in consideration,” Getz stated this week (hyperlink through Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Solar-Instances). “He has loads of traits we’re in search of.”
The Sox will nonetheless conduct an intensive seek for their subsequent skipper, Getz emphasised. Sizemore can be considered one of many candidates from what the GM referred to as a “deep pool” that they’ve cultivated since Grifol’s dismissal. (It’s not clear whether or not that pool will embrace Double-A supervisor and former Sox reliever Sergio Santos, however he’s publicly thrown his hat into the ring and voiced a need to handle the membership.) Nonetheless, Getz famous that Sizemore’s “temperament is precisely what we wanted” for the rest of the present season and praised his rookie supervisor’s communication abilities with the gamers. Van Schouwen provides that Sizemore has one other yr remaining on his teaching contract, so it appears seemingly he’ll stay with the group past the ’24 season in not less than some capability.
ESPN’s Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers report that Sizemore had by no means voiced a need to handle previous to being promoted to his present submit, however his robust relationship with the gamers made him the entrance workplace’s choose. Time will inform whether or not that results in a extra stable appointment following the season.
Extra broadly, Olney and Rogers discover the staggering ranges of dysfunction which have permeated the White Sox group this season. It’s a deep dive into the group’s many failures throughout nearly all ranges, highlighting clubhouse rifts that date again to the 2023 season and questionable selections from proprietor Jerry Reinsdorf, amongst many different fascinating points.
As has been advised previously, Rogers and Olney write that former basic supervisor Rick Hahn appeared to have zeroed in on A.J. Hinch because the group’s new supervisor following the 2020 season when Reinsdorf went over his head and employed longtime good friend and former White Sox skipper Tony La Russa. One membership supply informed the ESPN pair that Grifol inherited “as unfavourable a spot as I’ve seen anyplace” within the recreation when he took over as supervisor. La Russa stays concerned with the group as an advisor and, notably, gave optimistic suggestions about Getz when Reinsdorf fired longtime baseball operations leaders Hahn and Kenny Williams. That’s to not say Getz was promoted primarily based solely on La Russa’s advice, nevertheless it’s a notable little bit of context on condition that he was tabbed the brand new GM after simply 9 days and with no exterior search performed.
There are numerous different bits all through the ESPN piece making it a must-read piece for followers not solely of the White Sox however any membership. Rogers and Olney delve into some specifics on the commerce deadline, noting that the Sox focused prime Phillies prospect Andrew Painter when Philadelphia was in pursuit of Garrett Crochet — a value at which the Phillies balked. The Dodgers, per the report, believed they might make a compelling provide with out together with catcher Dalton Dashing, however that supply “by no means developed” in the long run. They as a substitute acquired Jack Flaherty from Detroit in trade for one more prime catching prospect, Thayron Liranzo, and present Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney.
Crochet stayed in Chicago, as Getz and his employees have been intent on getting their value met or revisiting the commerce marketplace for Crochet this winter. That’ll absolutely be the case, and Crochet will enter the season as maybe the highest commerce candidate within the sport. The asking value will once more be astronomical, however there may also theoretically be extra bidders for him — along with an absence of concern about his standing for pitching within the postseason and/or his reported need for a contract extension.
Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. would be the final vestiges of the core that propelled the White Sox to playoff berths in 2020 and 2021. The remainder have both been traded or, like third baseman Yoan Moncada, will develop into free brokers at season’s finish. Moncada has a $25MM membership choice, however the Sox pays a $5MM buyout on that choice and ship him into free company for the primary time in his profession.
Moncada, nonetheless simply 29 years outdated, tells Bruce Levine of 670 The Rating that he plans to play winter ball this offseason with a purpose to showcase his well being for the opposite 29 groups within the recreation. He missed practically all the season because of an adductor pressure and has scarcely performed since being reinstated from the 60-day injured listing earlier this month. Chicago has been dedicated too getting the youthful Miguel Vargas — acquired on the deadline within the three-team Erick Fedde/Michael Kopech/Tommy Pham swap — common taking part in time on the sizzling nook at the same time as he struggles mightily on the plate.
That’s left Moncada with only one plate look this month, even supposing he was activated again on Sept. 16. He’s hitting .275/.356/.400 on the season in a tiny pattern of 45 plate appearances. On the one hand, it’s confounding that the Sox would depart a proficient and pretty productive veteran out of the lineup as they attempt to stave off their inevitable date with historical past. On the opposite, Moncada clearly isn’t within the group’s plans going ahead, so there’s some sense to allocating these at-bats to youthful gamers.
Moncada as soon as ranked as the highest prospect within the sport. He signed with the Crimson Sox after leaving Cuba, taking residence a large $31.5MM signing bonus (which value Boston a 100% tax below the previous worldwide free agent system, bringing their whole value to $63MM). He landed in Chicago alongside Kopech as one two headliners within the commerce sending Chris Sale to Fenway Park. It took a pair years, however by 2019 Moncada seemed on the cusp of stardom. He swatted 25 homers whereas batting .315/.367/.548 in simply 559 plate appearances. That breakout contributed to Chicago extending Moncada on a five-year, $70MM deal overlaying the 2020-24 seasons.
The contract hasn’t aged nicely. Moncada gave the Sox one wholesome, productive season in 2021 however has in any other case spent extra time on the injured listing than within the lineup. Even when wholesome, he’s been below-average on the plate most of the time. He’s appeared in 404 of 703 potential video games throughout that five-year interval and slashed .244/.326/.395 alongside the best way. That’s league-average manufacturing on the entire (101 wRC+), however the overwhelming majority of that optimistic output got here in the course of the aforementioned ’21 season.
A wholesome displaying in winter ball would absolutely assist Moncada’s inventory this offseason. He’s seemingly taking a look at a low-cost one-year contract with incentives baked in to probably enhance his assure. There’s clearly a proficient participant beneath all of the current well being troubles. Moncada has had seasons price 5 wins above substitute (2019) and 4 WAR (2021). He’s nonetheless on the appropriate aspect of 30. It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see him return to kind in ’25 — nearly assuredly with a brand new membership — after which money in on a multi-year deal the next offseason.
