It’s official.
The White Sox named Will Venable the 44th manager in franchise history on Thursday morning. The highly sought-after coach comes to Chicago on a multiyear contract after serving as Bruce Bochy’s right-hand man for the last two seasons.
Venable, who celebrated his 42nd birthday on Tuesday, has been in a few different roles since retiring after a nine-year big league career. He first joined the Cubs as a special assistant to president Theo Epstein in September 2017, only to serve as the team’s first base coach from 2018-19 and third base coach in 2020. Venable then left Chicago for the Red Sox ahead of the 2021 campaign to become Alex Cora’s bench coach, where he remained for two years before joining Bochy’s staff in 2023.
Venable has long been considered one of the league’s top up-and-coming potential managers, especially in Texas for when Bochy would eventually retire. Even before the Rangers won the World Series in 2023, Venable was linked to other openings but declined interviews with the Mets and Guardians due to “comfort with his situation.” With Bochy telling reporters that managing still “drives” him after the season, Venable ultimately reconsidered his options and emerged as a finalist in both the Chicago and Miami searches.
“Will is widely recognized as one of the premium managerial candidates within the game, and we are very excited to bring him into our organization as our new manager,” said Chris Getz, White Sox senior vice president/general manager, in the team’s press release. “He is so well thought of across baseball. Will has built a well-earned and well-deserved reputation as a successful player, front office executive, coach and associate manager. A great communicator, Will is going to build strong relationships, set expectations, build a clubhouse where we hold one another accountable, and ultimately, create a winning mindset among our players and a winning environment in our clubhouse.”
“This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future,” Venable said. “It’s exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing. We want players who show up to work hard every day, but also smart baseball players who understand the nuances of the game. There is a rich tradition here and a fan base that deserves winning baseball, and I am excited to do whatever I can to help.”
Now that the White Sox have their manager history, Venable’s coaching staff will begin to take shape in the coming days. Interim manager Grady Sizemore, who was in the running for the full-time role, is expected to stay on in some capacity.
As we await confirmation and additional details, follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for more.
Featured Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
