White Sox hire Will Venable as new manager after MLB record 121-loss season: Report

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 is hiring former MLB outfielder Will Venable, currently the associate manager of the Texas Rangers behind Bruce Bochy, as their next manager, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. Venable replaces Pedro Grifol, who was fired in August.

The news came on Tuesday evening, on 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 let it never be said that the White Sox didn’t make headlines during the 2024 Fall Classic.

Venable, 42, played 967 games over nine years with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers during a nine-year MLB career, building a reputation as a big presence in the clubhouse even when working as a fourth baseman outfielder.

After his playing days ended, Venable joined the Chicago Cubs as a special assistant to then-team president Theo Epstein. For the next three seasons, he served as base coach for the team. In 2021, Venable was the 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 hot start on the south side of Chicago, to say the least.

We don’t need to run through every little indignity the White Sox suffered in 2024, but it boils down to losing the most games in MLB history with a 41-121 record that included three losing streaks of at least 12 games. One of them was 21 games long, which tied 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 second-worst Miami Marlins. Their base run? Bottom-10 in the league by Fangraphs’ base-running average. Their rotation? It ranked 25th in the 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 fieldwork? Dead last in defensive runs saved, at minus-87.

Venable has a lot of work to do, but he can also only do so much when those 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 prepares for another rebuilding year.