Chicago White Sox appoint Will Venable as new manager following tough season

The Chicago White Sox have announced their new manager after a challenging season marked as one of the worst in MLB history.

The team is hiring former MLB outfielder Will Venable, currently the associate manager of the Texas Rangers behind Bruce Bochy, as their next manager. Venable will replace Pedro Grifol, who was fired in August, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The news broke Tuesday night, on Venable's birthday. It also broke right after the New York Yankees' Game 4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, so never let it be said that the White Sox didn't make headlines during the 2024 Fall Classic.

Venable, 42, played 967 games across nine years with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers over a nine-year MLB career, building a reputation as a great clubhouse presence even when he was working as a fourth outfielder.

After his playing days came to an end, Venable joined the Chicago Cubs as special assistant to then-team president Theo Epstein. The next three seasons, he served as a base coach for the team. In 2021, Venable was a bench coach for the Boston Red Sox, and he joined Bochy's Rangers staff in 2022.

Venable became a World Series champion in 2023, when the Rangers won the Commissioner's Trophy for the first time in franchise history.

News.Az