Who's next? Here are 5 names to keep in mind for the Chicago White Sox's manager opening
The Chicago White Sox did it. They fired manager Pedro Grifol midseason.
General manager Chris Getz tabbed Grady Sizemore as the team's interim manager, but the team made it clear they're going to look for a permanent manager after the season ends.
With a search impending for their next manager, here are five names to keep in mind as the White Sox look for their next skipper this offseason.
A.J. Pierzynski - Former White Sox catcher
The top name on the list will undoubtedly be Pierzynski, who is already linked to the job.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale linked Pierzynski to the White Sox opening before it was even open.
"Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski has quietly emerged as a serious candidate to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2025 if they dismiss manager Pedro Grifol after the season, as expected," Nightengale wrote as recently as July 28.
This does make sense.
Pierzynski is a former All-Star catcher and a former White Sox catcher who won a World Series with the team in 2005. He has plenty of familiarity with the organization. Pierzynski is also a baseball analyst for Foul Territory and FOX Sports.
The main caveat is that Pierzynski has no prior managerial experience.
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 03: Former player A.J. Pierzynski waves to the crowd after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday, April 3, 2023 in C
Skip Schumaker - Miami Marlins manager
Schumaker is also reportedly linked to the White Sox's opening.
Nightengale reported in June that Schumaker could be a candidate for the Sox manager position. Schumaker is currently the manager of the Miami Marlins, and have the third-worst record in the MLB.
Schumaker would have to be fired, and that's a possibility. If he is let go, it's not necessarily his fault. The Marlins made wholesale changes to their front office as well as the team having a bottom-four payroll in the league.
There is some success, however. Schumnaker did NL Manager of the Year in 2023 after leading the Marlins to the playoffs.
Clayton McCullough - Los Angeles Dodgers first-base coach
A rising name to keep in mind is McCullough.
The Dodgers may have massive amounts of money to spend, but they do have results that match the talent. McCullough's name has been mentioned for other previous openings.
McCullough spent several years as a manager in Toronto’s minor-league system before taking over as the minor-league field coordinator with the Dodgers.
He has earned praise for his work with younger players, too. Considering the emphasis the White Sox need to put on player development, McCullough would be a declaration the White Sox would aim to develop their top prospects across the next season.
White Sox announce Grady Sizemore as interim manager after Grifol firing, fire 3 other coaches
Grady Sizemore was named to the coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season. Now, Sizemore is running the ship.
Don Mattingly - Toronto Blue Jays bench coach
Mattingly has plenty of managerial experience, having run the ship for the Dodgers and Marlins.
With the Blue Jays, he's serving as Toronto's bench coach. But, the former MLB star would bring some major stability and managerial experience to a soon-to-be young White Sox team.
Mattingly also gets results when the talent is in place. He never had a losing record in five seasons managing the Dodgers.
According to The Athletic, Mattingly was well-respected within the Dodgers clubhouse. Having a presence like him to guide the young players the Sox eventually call up would be a massive boon.
Will Venable - Texas Rangers associate manager
Venable is 41 years old, but that hasn't kept him from getting calls from big-time jobs.
This past offseason, the New York Post reported the Mets wanted to interview Venable for their manager opening. Venable declined to stay in Texas, where he won a World Series in 2023.
Venable has also spoken with the Oakland, the Cubs, San Francisco, Houston, Boston and Detroit about their openings, according to The Athletic.
Getting Venable would take large amounts of convincing for the White Sox, as Venable turned down plenty of other opportunities to remain in Texas with plenty of job security.