Offseason In Review: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox hired a new manager and cashed in Garrett Crochet for prospects, otherwise making affordable, low-ceiling additions.

Major League Signings

Martin Perez, SP: one year, $5MM. Includes $10MM mutual option for 2026 with a $1.5MM buyout
Josh Rojas, 3B: one year, $3.5MM
Mike Tauchman, LF/RF: one year, $1.95MM
Michael A. Taylor, CF: one year, $1.95MM
Austin Slater, LF/RF: one year, $1.75MM
Bryse Wilson, SP/RF: one year, $1.05MM

2025 spending: $15.2MM
Total spending: $15.2MM

Option Decisions

Trades and Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Notable Losses

Chris Getz was hired as White Sox executive vice president/GM in August 2023, inheriting manager Pedro Grifol from previous longtime GM Rick Hahn. After about a year in the GM chair with his team sporting a historically bad 28-89 record on the 2024 season, Getz fired Grifol and installed Grady Sizemore as interim manager for the remainder of the campaign. Managers can occasionally ride out rebuilding years, proving themselves on soft factors and retaining the job when the team gets good. The Orioles’ Brandon Hyde did this. Grifol, however, did not warrant that level of faith.

Given a clean offseason slate to choose his own manager, Getz ran an extensive search that included Will Venable, Daniel Descalso, Phil Nevin, George Lombard, A.J. Ellis, Donnie Ecker, Danny Lehmann, Clayton McCullough, Craig Albernaz, and many others whose names did not reach the media. Getz had competition from the Marlins on several of these candidates. He ultimately chose Venable on October 29th. McCullough landed the Marlins gig not long after, while Nevin still landed with Chicago but as a special assistant in their player development department.

The Princeton-educated Venable became the 44th manager in White Sox history, and he takes over a team that has nowhere to go but up. Getz himself was the beneficiary of Jerry Reinsdorf’s “I didn’t have to interview these people, because I knew them all” hiring approach, which also netted Tony La Russa as manager in October 2020. So it’s always a relief to see the White Sox conduct an extensive search as they did with Venable.