4 managerial fits for Chicago White Sox and why Ozzie Guillén is perfect

The Chicago White Sox need a manager after parting ways with Rick Renteria and the easy answer is to go back to the past and bring Ozzie Guillén back.

Rick Renteria is out as White Sox manager after going 236-309 in four seasons with the club, including making the postseason in the condenses 2020 regular-season and expanded 2020 playoff format.

The move isn’t a surprise as Renteria has been viewed as the manager until they were ready to compete for division titles and playoff appearances on an annual basis. Now, it appears the White Sox are ready to be contenders with a young and talented roster that took a big step in 2020 and is expected to take another big step in 2021 with Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito complementing the veteran presence and likely MVP, Jose Abreu.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn should consider former Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch, former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Cleveland Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar, Jr. who also played for the Sox during his playing career.

Managerial candidates for the White Sox after parting ways with Renteria

However, the easy answer for Hahn is to bring back Ozzie Guillén as the manager.

Guillénled the White Sox to the 2005 World Series but was let go after the 2011 season. He finished his White Sox tenure with a 678-617 record. He’s been working on the White Sox pre and post-game shows on NBC Sports Chicago and could make a seamless transition from TV to the dugout after watching the team closely, and not being shy about vocalizing how he’d do things differently than Renteria.

Perhaps the biggest knock on Renteria is how he managed his bullpen, but Guillén, provided he’s learned from what cost him his White Sox job and later his job with the Miami Marlins after one season, he could be the perfect fit for the organization ready to win another World Series.

Who better to lead the way than the guy who led the way in 2005?

It’s better than Hinch or Cora who has the stench of their involvement in the cheating scandal that cost them their jobs, and Alomar may not be ready to inherit a job of this level that’s ready to win now with just an “acting manager” title on his resume from this season when Terry Francona left the team to deal with health issues.

Guillén knows the organization, the city, the team and the level of expectations and commitment needed to win. Plus, he does it with a lot of personality that Renteria just didn’t bring to the equation.