One of the rumored frontrunners for White Sox manager has reportedly not even spoken with the team.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Ryan McGuffey, Bruce Bochy has yet to engage in any conversations to date with the White Sox about their managerial opening. This update comes on the heels of multiple reports earlier in the day that confirmed Houston’s Joe Espada and Atlanta’s Ron Washington as candidates.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier in the week that Bochy was considered to be one of the team’s leading names for the job. The insider had the following to say in his recent piece:
“The Chicago White Sox want to hire a veteran manager to replace Tony La Russa, not wanting to take a chance on someone with no experience. Some managers who fit the bill: Bruce Bochy, Mike Shildt, Ron Washington, John Gibbons, Bo Porter, Joe Girardi, Joe Maddon.“
“Bochy, Washington and Shildt are considered the leading candidates.”
Of all the names to be thrown around for the vacancy, none has more managerial experience and success than Bochy. A three-time World Series Champion manager, Bochy spent his career with the Padres (1995-2006) and Giants (2007-2019) before retiring in 2019. He has a career record of 2,003-2,029, including a 44-33 record in the postseason.
With Bochy, the White Sox would replace a Hall of Fame manager with a future Hall of Fame skipper. They would also be running the same risk by hiring someone who has been out of the game – albeit for a much shorter amount of time than La Russa. Bochy has similarly dealt with health problems – heart scares – in previous years, calling ever closer to the comparison between himself and La Russa.
The 67-year-old had been considered for the Mets’ most recent managerial opening, though he was passed over in favor of Buck Showalter. Regardless, Bochy’s credentials cannot be denied, and should the White Sox make him their next manager, he would come with plenty of success and experience as Rick Hahn mentioned.
With the managerial search quickly ramping up, a lot can change in the span of a day. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Related Articles:
- Report: Joe Espada to interview for White Sox manager opening
- Report: Royals’ Pedro Grifoli to interview for White Sox manager opening
- Report: White Sox reach out to Ron Washington for manager job
- 10 potential candidates for the next White Sox manager
- 12 outside-the-box manager options the White Sox could consider
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Featured Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
