Chicago White Sox part ways with manager Rick Renteria

The Chicago White Sox and Rick Renteria have parted ways after guiding the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

In a move that isn’t entirely surprising, but it still somewhat surreal, the Chicago White Sox and manager Rick Renteria have parted ways.

The move comes on the heels of the White Sox making the expanded playoffs this year after a 35-25 season that saw them finish one game back of an A.L. Central title. The White Sox were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Oakland Athletics in four games.

It was the first playoff appearance for the White Sox since 2008. The Sox were one of the breakout teams of the condenses regular-season but faltered down the stretch, going 2-8 in the last 10 games to miss out on winning the division, which went to the Minnesota Twins.

Chicago White Sox part ways with manager Rick Renteria

The White Sox’ plus-60 run-differential tied for the best in the American League and has a young and talented roster that could be competing for playoff appearances for the foreseeable future.

With a core group including Tim Anderson, Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal and Nick Madrigal, the lineup is relatively stacked with young and veteran talent.

The pitching staff is led by burdening ace Lucas Giolito who flirted with a perfect game in his Game 1 win vs. the A’s and is supplemented by former Cy Young winner Dallas Kuechel in the rotation. Filling out the rest of the rotation with Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning and a likely veteran addition will go a long way toward determining if the Sox can take the next step in their development from a good team to a great team. Additionally, the bullpen and managing the bullpen will be a big question as the team chases its first World Series championship since 2005.

For Renteria, this follows a familiar trend after he was fired after one season with the Chicago Cubs before they hired Joe Maddon who led the team to a World Series championship in 2016.