White Sox Fire Manager Pedro Grifol Amidst Historically Bad Season
The first-time manager's time on the South Side of Chicago is officially over.
The news that Chicagoans have been waiting on finally arrived this morning, with the White Sox announcing that they have dismissed manager Pedro Grifol after less than two seasons. The first-time skipper’s time in Chicago is officially over.
In the middle of potentially the worst season in MLB history, the Chicago White Sox sit at 28-89 after just ending a 21-game losing streak earlier this week.
It appears as if the organization was waiting to make a change until after the streak ended so as not to subject a new coach to entering such an awful situation.
While much of the blame for this poor season should be directed towards ownership and management, Grifol did not succeed in achieving the goals he committed to upon taking the reins of the team prior to the 2023 season. The organization needed to shift focus toward the future.
Last year was a disaster for a team still trying to hold onto the competitive core that won the AL Central in 2021. They finished with over 100 losses and sold off a plethora of pieces.
This year was destined to be more of a development year in Chicago with the way last season ended, but nobody expected it to go this poorly. It was time for a change. Grifol’s continued sentiments of positivity became translucent and fairly insincere as the team continued to play brutal baseball all year.
A trio of additional coaches were let go by the organization alongside Grifol, including the most likely candidate for the interim role – experienced bench coach and former Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo.
The dismissal of Montoyo was surprising, but it appears that the White Sox are prepared to finally shift gears and bring in a new type of manager for the future to enhance the culture of an organization that is in such a rough spot right now.
For now, former MLB All-Star Grady Sizemore has been named the interim manager with the goal of adding some culture and presence to the club over the final two months.
Sizemore joined the coaching staff in Chicago prior to this season as a bench coach. His primary responsibilities were to focus on baserunning and outfield defense. He doesn’t have nearly as much coaching experience as someone like Montoyo but makes sense given the plan laid out by general manager Chris Getz this morning.
The White Sox’s intention with Sizemore is primarily for him to help develop young players on the roster. He will likely not be retained as the next manager, with the team expected to bring in an external candidate for the job. However, he could prove himself as a valuable member of the staff moving forward if willing to accept a lesser position next year.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, the White Sox needed to make a change to show their roster and fans alike that this level of performance is not acceptable.
This change is, frankly, overdue and just one of many steps that need to be taken in order to get this franchise back on track. The White Sox have a long way to go in this rebuild, but there is a path on which they must proceed, and this was the right place to start.
Finding a manager in the offseason who can shift the dynamics of the organization will be difficult and pivotal for the future. For now, allowing Sizemore to work with young players down the stretch feels like a sound decision.
This season is a total loss, but all hope for the future is not yet lost in my eyes. Planning for 2025 and beyond begins today.
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Elijah is a Chicago native with a passion for baseball from an early age. He is one of the social media managers for Just Baseball as…