12 outside-the-box manager options the White Sox could consider

Since Tony La Russa announced his retirement on Monday, news outlets have been flooded with potential manager names that White Sox fans should familiarize themselves with. But, with so many news outlets, a lot of the names have become incredibly redundant, and although these are likely some of the top managerial candidates, the same names we keep seeing everywhere can’t be the only names being considered. So, who are some of the names that haven’t been mentioned, but may be worth some sort of consideration?

Many of these names are either current bench coaches who have a long history of coaching/managing, current managers, or more recent coaching hires who have been interviewed for managerial jobs several times over, even if they haven’t received the position. Essentially, these are names who are likely to get a managerial job sometime in the future – so, it wouldn’t be all that surprising for one of their names to pop up in connection to the White Sox.

So, without further delay, here are 12 names that the White Sox could consider for their open manager job that you probably haven’t seen too often on Twitter and in rumors, as well as their credentials.

Skip Schumaker

Current Position: Bench Coach, St. Louis Cardinals

There aren’t many organizations with the consistent dedication to turning out a winning product like the St. Louis Cardinals. As both a player and coach, Schumaker would come with plenty of experience in a winning environment. An 11-year major league veteran, Schumaker has coached with the Padres and Cardinals since the 2018 season. From 2018-2019, Schumaker was the first base coach for the Padres, and in 2020-2021, he served as the associate manager for the club. He joined St. Louis as their bench coach prior to the 2022 season.

Having been a player and a coach for the Cardinals, Schumaker is well-versed in the Cardinals’ organizational philosophy – and, given its rich history, is a philosophy the White Sox could use some insight into. Additionally, Schumaker was considered a candidate to take over in St. Louis after previous manager Mike Shildt left the organization – though that job eventually went to current manager Oliver Marmol. The fan-favorite may not easily be coaxed away from the Cardinals, but he is someone who is well-deserving of some additional managerial interviews in the coming years. It would not be surprising to see his name in the mix for some jobs this offseason.

Bob Geren

Current Position: Bench Coach, Los Angeles Dodgers

Geren is easily among the most credentialed candidates on this list. A former first-round pick, Geren has the distinction of being the Yankees catcher when Andy Hawkins no-hit the White Sox, but lost, back in 1990. He began his coaching career with the Red Sox, where he managed from 1995-1998 at the Rookie and Class-A levels. He left for Oakland the next season and would be their Single-A manager during the 1999 season. Geren then moved to AAA to manage for three seasons before finally making his way to the majors in 2003 as Oakland’s bullpen coach. From there, he became a bench coach until he was named manager in 2007. It was a position he held until 2011 when he was fired midseason in favor of Bob Melvin. He went on to be a bench coach with the Mets from 2012-2015, before setting into his current role as bench coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Geren’s managerial tenure wasn’t incredibly successful, and he was criticized at times for his communication style. At the same time, he was praised by the Mets for his “statistical aptitude” and “strong working knowledge of advanced analytics.” He’s worked under Billy Beane, proving he does have plenty of experience with modern, revolutionized thinking; he’s also spent the last few seasons with the Dodgers, who are the pinnacle of advanced thinking and a winning organization.

It’s hard to find too many people more credentialed than Geren; whether or not he fits for the White Sox isn’t clear, and the knocks of some of his communication style aren’t great. But given where he’s been in his career, especially recently, the 61-year-old may see another chance at managing sometime soon.

Don Mattingly

Current Position: Manager, Miami Marlins

If there is anyone more credentialed than Bob Geren on this list, it’s definitely Don Mattingly. Mattingly started out as a special instructor for the Yankees during Spring Training from 1997-2003. In 2004, Mattingly began the first of three seasons as the Yankees’ hitting coach. He spent one year as the bench coach for Joe Torre, and after being passed over for the manager position in New York following the 2007 season, he moved on to Los Angeles to join Torre once again with the Dodgers. He would spend a few seasons there as the hitting coach, and after being passed over for Cleveland’s open position prior to the 2010 season, would eventually be named Joe Torre’s successor in Los Angeles at the start of the 2011 season. During his tenure, the Dodgers would go to the playoffs three times, losing in the NLDS twice and NLCS ones. After his fifth season in Los Angeles, Mattingly and the Dodgers mutually parted ways, and Mattingly went on to manage the Miami Marlins – a position he still holds today. The Marlins have not played well during his tenure, but that is for reasons that have been largely beyond his control.

With the Marlins and Mattingly mutually agreeing to move on following the 2022 season – with Mattingly citing his role as one of development and teaching – the 61-year-old finds himself on the market for a new position once again. Perhaps the White Sox would be more interested in Mattingly for a hitting coach or bench coach role, but given his extensive credentials and strong leadership, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the White Sox give Mattingly an interview before making a decision on their next manager. Not to mention that Mattingly credits Tony La Russa as one of his mentors.

DeMarlo Hale

Current Position: Bench Coach, Cleveland Guardians

With as extensive a background as DeMarlo Hale has, he has to have the most impressive resume on this list among those who have NOT received the opportunity to manage in their career.

Hale, 61, has been a coach in the majors since 2002. His coaching career, however, started all the way back to his days working at the Bucky Dent baseball school from 1989-1992, when he became a coach for AA New Britain. The next year, he began his managerial career for the Red Sox’ High-A affiliate. In a total of nine minor league managerial seasons, Hale would go 634-614 before finally receiving his chance at the big league level in 2002 as the Rangers’ first base coach and outfield instructor. He would remain with Texas until 2006 when he would head to Boston as their third base coach. He would be named their bench coach heading into the 2010 season, and during that previous offseason, he was rumored to be a finalist for the Blue Jays’ open managerial job. After a brief season with the Orioles as their third base coach in 2012, Hale would head to Toronto to become their bench coach. He would remain in that positional through 2018, and in 2019, he would join the Braves as a minor league coach and special assistant. After a brief stint at the major league level with Atlanta in 2020, he was named the Guardians’ bench coach heading into 2021, the position where he is today.

Except for a brief stint as the interim manager for Terry Francona in 2021, Hale’s managerial experience has been limited to the minor league level. It’s certainly questionable why Hale has never gotten a chance to lead a club, but given his experience with a ballclub like Cleveland in recent years, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the White Sox give him an interview.

Don Kelly

Current Position: Bench Coach, Pittsburgh Pirates

A nine-year major league veteran, Kelly began his coaching career in 2017 as a scout and assistant on Detroit’s player development staff. He was promoted to a major league scout for the Tigers later that season, and in 2019, Kelly became the Astros’ first base coach. He has been the bench coach for the Pirates for the previous two seasons. Kelly was also previously considered for Detroit’s managerial opening before hiring A.J. Hinch, and Kelly bowed out of consideration for the Mets’ job last winter.

Given Rick Hahn’s stated desire to hire a manager who has experience within a recent championship-level organization, Kelly’s time with the rebuilding Pirates and Tigers doesn’t exactly fit that mold. That being said, Kelly is a worthy candidate for many managerial jobs with a strong background that he will continue to build upon, and even if it isn’t this year with the White Sox, Kelly will likely get consideration elsewhere.

Davey Martinez

Current Position: Manager, Washington Nationals

While Davey Martinez’s tenure with the Nationals has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows, he brings a long baseball history as a coach. Martinez first worked for the Tampa Bay Rays as a spring training instructor from 2006-2007. From there, he rose quickly through the ranks and became the Rays’ bench coach in 2008, where he was in charge of defensive positioning, bunting, and baserunning.

Martinez also got a fair share of interviews before he took over with the Nationals. Before the 2011 season, he interviewed with the Guardians and Blue Jays, and before the 2012 hiring of Robin Ventura, the White Sox also interviewed Martinez. After being passed up for positions with the Cubs, Nationals, and eventually, the Rays, Martinez would move on from the Rays and join Joe Maddon on the North Side as his bench coach there. After winning the World Series with the Cubs in 2016, Martinez would eventually take over in Washington starting in 2018. He’s been there ever since and has only managed one playoff team – the 2019 Nationals that started 19-31 and eventually made the playoffs and won the World Series.

Given his history with the White Sox, as well as his extensive experience as a bench coach and World Series-winning manager, Martinez checks the preliminary boxes for the club. However, the Nationals did pick up Martinez’s option for the 2023 season, and the manager has often come under fire from fans for some of his decision-making. Regardless, there’s certainly a connection here that is worth exploring.

Stubby Clapp

Current Position: First Base Coach, St. Louis Cardinals

Beyond his 80-grade name, the 49-year-old Clapp comes with a lot of major and minor league experience. Clapp began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Astros’ Low-A ball team in 2009 before becoming the hitting coach for their AA team prior to the 2011 season. He then became a manager for the Astros’ High-A team for two seasons before moving on to the Blue Jays’ organization to become the hitting coach for their High-A affiliate. He would remain in that position until the 2015 season when it was announced that he would be the hitting coach for the Blue Jays’ AA affiliate. From there, he would move to the Cardinals, where he was named their AAA manager. It was there he became a Minor League Manager of the Year in 2017. Clapp was named the Cardinals’ first base coach in 2019, a position he still holds today.

Interestingly enough, Clapp has plenty of experience outside of MLB. He was on the Winnipeg team that placed 3rd in the 1999 Pan American Games, represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was named to the roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and was the third base coach for the gold medal-winning Canada national baseball team at the 2015 Pan American Games.

A Canadian legend in his own right, Clapp has both the experience and winning resume that the White Sox would be looking for. While he hasn’t been a bench coach, he’s been involved with several organizations – including the Cardinals – for long enough to expect that he’s seen the inner workings of the organization enough to understand and invoke their philosophies. It wouldn’t be surprising for Clapp to begin to get managerial interviews soon, or at the very least, a bench coach position somewhere.

Luis Rojas

Current Position: Third Base Coach, New York Mets

Rojas, 41, has some recent managing experience that would serve him well in this role. Rojas was a coach in the Dominican Summer League for the Nationals (2006) and Mets (2007) before transitioning to the Gulf Coast League and A-ball. He would work his way up to AA with the Mets for the 2017-2018 seasons before being named to the major league coaching staff as the quality control coach in 2019. The point of this role was to prevent Rojas from jumping to another team.

After Carlos Beltran and the Mets parted ways before Beltran could even manage a game, Rojas was named the new manager and would hold the role for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. After two disappointing seasons, the Mets declined the option on Rojas’ contract, and he was then hired as the Yankees’ third base coach before the 2022 season.

Having managerial experience is a plus for Rojas, but considering the Mets were the first team in major league history to sit atop a division for more than 100 days in a season and finish with a losing record under his tenure, he isn’t the most accomplished of managers. That being said, he still earned the role and has since worked in a winning organization with the Yankees. He may not have the strongest case for this White Sox team, but it’s likely that Rojas will eventually get another crack at a manager role in the future – so he’s a name to keep an eye on.

Alex Cintron

Current Position: Hitting Coach, Houston Astros

A former White Sox and current coach with the Astros, Cintron got his start with Houston as the team’s Spanish-language interpreter, advanced scout, and assistant coach in 2017. He served as their first base coach in 2018 and was named their hitting coach prior to the 2019 season, which is the position he still holds today.

His temper has gotten the best of him on a couple of occasions, including in 2020 when he was suspended 20 games for inciting a brawl with Ramon Laureano. Because of this, along with his rather short history of coaching, at this time, Cintron might not totally be ready to take on a managerial position with the White Sox. That being said, because of his history with the Astros, it couldn’t hurt to give him an interview and see what he has to say.

Mark Kotsay

Current Position: Manager, Oakland Athletics

While Kotsay doesn’t have the “recent winning experience” as the current manager of the Oakland Athletics, he has a pretty impressive resume that warrants inclusion on this list. Following the end of his playing career, Kotsay joined the Padres front office in 2014 as a special assistant. Just a year later, Kotsay was named the team’s hitting coach, and after a year in that role, Kotsay moved on to Oakland to become their bench coach. He spent a few seasons as the team’s quality control coach before taking over the third base coach role prior to being named Bob Melvin’s successor.

It’s no secret that the Athletics haven’t been stellar this season, but given the roster, that is hardly Kotsay’s fault. And, while he has only been a manager for one season, that doesn’t mean this was the first time he was considered for a position. In 2015, he’d been mentioned as a possibility to lead the Padres after the firing of Bud Black. In the 2019-2020 offseason, he was reportedly given interviews with the Giants, Pirates, Astros, and Red Sox without landing a job. Additionally, he interviewed with the Tigers last year before they hired A.J. Hinch.

Serving as a coach under Bob Melvin is pretty great experience to have, although it remains to be seen if Kotsay is ready to make the job from a rebuilding club to a contending one in just one season. That being said, should the Athletics grant access, it’s likely that Kotsay will see his name floating around this winter once again.

Marcus Thames

Current Position: Hitting Coach, Miami Marlins

Thames, 45, was previously considered for the Tigers’ recent managerial opening – and according to some, was a favorite among the candidates until Hinch became available. After his retirement in 2011, Thames returned to the Yankees as the hitting coach of their High-A team in 2013. Thames would assume the same role in AA in 2014, and Yankees prospect Rob Refsnyder would credit Thames with helping him re-work his swing. From a 2014 Newsday article: “He worked extensively with Trenton hitting coach Marcus Thames earlier this year to ‘eliminate wasted movement and make me more direct to the ball.’ The results were almost immediate.”

After being considered for the Yankees’ hitting coach role in 2015, Thames would instead be the hitting coach for the AAA affiliate of the club instead. However, he would get his chance with the big league club as their assistant hitting coach in 2017, and in 2018, he became the hitting coach for the Yankees. He would assume this role until the end of 2021, and his contract was not renewed. He currently is the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins.

With a new manager on the way for the Marlins, there is a chance that Thames will not return to Miami in 2023, which would make him available to other clubs. Given his tenure with the Yankees, his success as a hitting coach, and previous interviews to be a manager, Thames could find himself worthy of an interview that, at worst, lands him in the hitting coach position with the White Sox

John Farrell

Current Position: None

A manager for seven seasons from 2011-2017, Farrell got his start in coaching in 1997 as a pitching and recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State University, where he would remain until 2001. From November 2001 to the end of the 2006 season, Farrell was the director of player development for the Cleveland Guardians but would move back into the dugout in 2007 as the pitching coach for the Red Sox. Following four seasons as the pitching coach in Boston, Farrell would spend two seasons as the manager in Toronto, going 154-170 in two seasons. The Red Sox would bring him back to manage in 2013 and subsequently went on to win the World Series with the club. After two seasons under .500, Farrell and the Red Sox would finish an identical 93-69 in 2016 and 2017, losing in the ALDS both seasons. His contract was terminated following 2017.

Farrell, 60, has been out of the game for nearly five seasons now, so it’s not likely that the team would offer him the position. That being said, his experience with winning ballclubs as a World Series champion manager would make him someone that teams at least entertain interviewing, if only to learn more about what they should be looking for in candidates.

Others Considered

Paul Konerko, Tadahito Iguchi, Jason Varitek, Ron Washington, Ian Kinsler

Building an outside-the-box list and not including a few former White Sox stars would feel incomplete. Konerko has shown no inclination to come back and manage but did advocate for the analytics side of the game on a recent Sox Degrees podcast with Jason Benetti and Len Kasper. Iguchi has been one of the most successful managers in Nippon Professional Baseball and would be a true outside-the-box pick on this list. Ron Washington is included here because while he isn’t exactly an “outside-the-box” pick, as his name has been mentioned by a few outlets, he also was not on our first list of 10 potential candidates and deserves to be mentioned. Neither Jason Varitek nor Ian Kinsler has any major league coaching experience. However, in the same spirit as A.J. Pierzynski, Varitek is a former catcher and was well-liked in Boston. In Kinsler’s case, he may not have been a major league coach in any capacity, but he will be managing Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, so don’t be surprised to see his name pop up in managerial searches in the near future.

While these names may not be among the first that come up in conversations regarding the next White Sox manager, after taking a look at each individual’s credentials, it’s easy to see how a case could be made for their managerial candidacy. Even if these names don’t end up rumored to be among the finalists for the White Sox, don’t be surprised if some of these names come up in relation to other openings across baseball. In a game that is looking for its next wave of managers, many of the names on this list are making it known that they deserve strong consideration, both now and in the future.

If there are any other names you feel are missing, let us know below in the comments!

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