Ranking the White Sox' reported leading candidates for managerial vacancy

Two months ago, the Chicago White Sox decided to fire manager Pedro Grifol. The franchise now looks to move forward from its abysmal 2024 season and turn the page to a more successful future. That's all you can do as a franchise after setting a Major League Baseball record for the most losses in a season (121 losses).

Luckily, the White Sox have an impressive group of potential managers that can help them rebuild their franchise. The New York Post's Jon Heyman recently brought to the forefront some of the candidates in the running for the White Sox manager role.

Out of those candidates, here's how we would rank them for who would be the best fit on the Southside.

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3. Phil Nevin (former Los Angeles Angels manager)

One positive for Phil Nevin is he is the only coach amongst the finalists with actual managing experience. In two seasons as manager for the Angels, Nevin finished with a 119-149 record. Let's be honest though, is he really the one to blame for that record?

In his last season with the team in 2023, the Angels ranked top-eight in the AL in team hits and batting average, and were third in the AL in home runs. The team could hit, but the rotation was pretty lackluster and that is more on the front office for not getting more quality arms on the mound.

In hindsight, this was a franchise that was preparing to lose their biggest star to free agency, while also trying to keep their other star player in Mike Trout healthy. Add in the fact the team's rotation lacked much firepower, and Nevin deserves another shot somewhere. The White Sox just might not be the best fit, especially since they're desperate for a winning culture in the organization and Nevin hasn't won as a coach or a player.

2. George Lombard (Detroit Tigers bench coach)

Still blessed with the gift of youth, George Lombard could conceivably relate to some of the White Sox players. He has spent all four of his seasons with the Detroit Tigers as manager AJ Hinch's bench coach.

He began his coaching career as the hitting coach for a minor league team in the Red Sox organization before joining the Atlanta Braves organization for the same role for a season. He would then leave for an opportunity to join the Dodgers as a first base coach from 2016-20.

Lombard won a World Series in 2020 with the Dodgers and would bring a winning mentality. He's got a ton of coaching experience and is due for a shot as a manager after interviewing for countless openings for the past couple of years. Not to mention, he just reached the ALDS with the Tigers as well to cap off a successful season in Detroit.

1. Will Venable (Texas Rangers bench coach)

After spending eight years as a player in MLB, Venable finds himself a leading candidate for the White Sox manager vacancy. The former outfielder debuted for the San Diego Padres back in 2008 and remained with them until 2015 when he went to the Texas Rangers for one season. He would then finish his career with one more professional year with the Los Angeles Dodgers before retiring.

As a coach, he has spent time with the Chicago Cubs (special assistant, first base coach, third base coach) from 2018-20, Boston Red Sox (bench coach) for the 2021-22 season, and has been a bench coach/associate manager for the Texas Rangers since 2023. Which means he has a World Series title on his resumé as well.

Venable's name circulated around for the Mets manager vacancy last year as well. As a young manager, the White Sox players will be able to relate to him more and he would bring a winning mentality to a franchise starving for a turnaround. According to Heyman, White Sox GM Chris Getz loves Venable, so he should be at the top of the list.