The White Sox have employed David Keller to run their worldwide scouting division, in response to a report by USA Right now’s Bob Nightengale. The report was later elaborated on by James Fegan of SoxMachine, who famous that Keller’s title with Chicago will likely be particular assistant to the GM. Francys Romero additionally chimed in to notice that the membership’s worldwide scouting division is being restructured and that the membership is anticipated to rent a director for the division within the coming months. Previous to becoming a member of the Sox, Keller had been a scout with the Mets since 2009.
Whereas entrance workplace members and scouts altering organizations is a reasonably frequent prevalence within the ultimate months of the season and the primary months of the offseason, Chicago’s choice to rent exterior for a high-level place is particularly noteworthy as a possible signal that the membership has begun to search for outdoors voices amid what seems prone to wind up because the worst season any group has put collectively within the trendy period by virtually any metric.
The Sox tied the the 2003 Detroit Tigers for probably the most losses in AL historical past with a loss to the Padres final night time, and the membership must win every of their ultimate seven video games to be able to keep away from no less than tying the 120-loss 1962 Mets for probably the most losses within the trendy period. In the meantime, the membership’s present .232 successful share is already the worst of the trendy period, they usually’d must win no less than three of their remaining video games to surpass the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, who went 36-117 for a successful share of .235. In the event that they don’t win one other recreation this 12 months, Chicago’s 36 wins would tie the aforementioned 1916 Athletics membership in addition to the 1919 membership for the fewest wins in a contemporary MLB season.
A disastrous season of this magnitude is certain to encourage reflection each inside and outdoors the group, so it was no shock when The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal revealed a prolonged article wanting on the membership’s failings. MLBTR readers are inspired to learn the report in full for a have a look at quotes from a wide-ranging group of sources concerning the state of the White Sox group. In Ghiroli and Rosenthal’s findings, a lot of the blame for the South Siders’ struggles falls onto the shoulders of proprietor and chairperson Jerry Reinsdorf. The article notes that whereas Reinsdorf has a real ardour for baseball and a need to see the White Sox succeed, his old-school mentality and unwillingness to take a position totally in superior analytics and know-how has held the group again lately.
One other concern the article factors out concerning Reinsdorf’s possession model is his excessive loyalty to his staff, which has helped to foster an insular tradition inside the group that prevented the membership from adapting to the present period’s norms and methods in areas starting from recreation planning for pitchers to defensive positioning. It’s additionally prompted Reinsdorf at occasions to go in opposition to what others within the group assume is greatest, resembling when he promoted Chris Getz to run baseball operations slightly than search an outdoor rent or when he overrode then-GM Rick Hahn within the seek for a supervisor to interchange Rick Renteria following the 2020 season.
Hahn had his eye on former Astros supervisor A.J. Hinch, who had received a World Collection championship with a corporation that was widely-regarded as one of many league’s most forward-thinking, and in response to Ghiroli and Rosenthal had begun wanting into locations to dwell in Chicago with an interview for the managerial gig scheduled. As a substitute, Reinsdorf stepped in and employed longtime Cardinals supervisor Tony La Russa, who managed for the White Sox from 1979 to 1986 however had beforehand retired following the 2011 season, his ultimate 12 months in St. Louis. That left Hinch to signal with the Tigers, a membership that was mired in mediocrity on the time however has emerged as a shock contender for a playoff spot this 12 months with a robust second half.
Contemplating the group’s historical past underneath Reinsdorf, the hiring of Keller may very well be seen as the newest step in the direction of accepting outdoors voices into the fold as they appear to maneuver previous a brutal 2024 season. Beforehand, Chicago went outdoors the group to rent then-Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol to interchange La Russa after he vacated the managerial chair attributable to well being points, and Getz prompt after they fired Grifol earlier this 12 months that they plan to rent one other outdoors voice to interchange Grifol headed into 2025, although Grady Sizemore has been appearing as interim supervisor in the interim.
