CHICAGO — It’s official: Will Venable is the new White Sox manager.
After it was reported late Tuesday by MLB.com Insider Scott Merkin, the White Sox officially announced Thursday morning they’ve named Venable the 44th different manager in franchise history.
Venable, who turned 42 on Tuesday and has 18 years of major-league experience as a player and coach, agreed to terms on a multiyear contract, the team announced.
The White Sox could not officially announce the move until the World Series concluded, which happened Wednesday night.
The White Sox had reportedly considered hiring Venable prior to the their last managerial hiring cycle, but they opted instead to hire Pedro Grifol prior to the 2023 season. Venable will replace interim manager Grady Sizemore, who took over for Grifol in August amidst a record-setting 121-loss season.
“This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future,” Venable said in a news release announcing his hiring. “It’s exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing.
“We want players who show up to work hard every day, but also smart baseball players who understand the nuances of the game. There is a rich tradition here and a fanbase that deserves winning baseball, and I am excited to do whatever I can to help.”
The White Sox officially introduced Venable on Thursday.
“Thank you to Jerry (Reinsdorf) and ownership and (senior vice president/general manager) Chris (Getz) and the group for the opportunity. I just couldn’t be more excited,” he said.
“I know we’re going to struggle with some stuff, but if we continue to go out there and compete, if we continue to work together and focus on the things we know win games and are good teammates with each other, then we can overcome a lot together.”
Venable also said he doesn’t have a timetable yet on when he’ll get his new coaching staff together.
‘So well-thought of’
It will now be Venable’s job to lead the White Sox back from the depths of a historically awful 2024 season, which came on the heels of a 101-loss season in 2023.
After making back-to-back postseason appearances in 2020-21, the White Sox sunk to .500 and missed the playoffs in 2022, followed by 222 losses over the course of two seasons, including an MLB Modern Era-record (since 1900) 121 losses in 2024.
Venable officially takes over for Sizemore, who went 13-32 as the interim manager after taking over for Grifol last season. Merkin reported Sizemore was one of the candidates in consideration for the full-time job during the search by Getz and staff, but they went with Venable as they embark on a rebuild.
The front office feels Venable is the right fit to guide the White Sox through that process, and they hope beyond it.
“Will is widely recognized as one of the premium managerial candidates within the game, and we are very excited to bring him into our organization as our new manager,” Getz said in the release.
“He is so well-thought of across baseball. Will has built a well-earned and well-deserved reputation as a successful player, front-office executive, coach and associate manager. A great communicator, Will is going to build strong relationships, set expectations, build a clubhouse where we hold one another accountable, and ultimately, create a winning mindset among our players and a winning environment in our clubhouse.”
Formerly with Cubs
Venable, a career .249 hitter over nine big-league seasons as a player, is no stranger to Chicago.
After stints playing for the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers, Venable was a first- and third-base coach for the Cubs from 2018 to 2020. He was also a special assistant to Theo Epstein before moving on to Boston as the Red Sox bench coach during the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
As a player, Venable was drafted by the Padres out of Princeton University in the seventh round of the 2005 June Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut with San Diego in 2008 and played with the Padres until 2015, when he was sent to the Rangers that season at the trade deadline.
Venable was granted free agency after a half-season with Texas and released by two other organizations before signing with the Dodgers during the 2016 season. He appeared in just 12 games with Los Angeles.
Venable finished his big-league career with 81 homers, 307 RBI, 135 stolen bases and a .719 OPS.
Family of athletes
A native of Greenbrae, Calif., Venable graduated from Princeton in 2005 with a degree in anthropology. He was a two-sport standout in college, in baseball and basketball, and became the second student-athlete in Ivy League history to earn first-team All-Conference honors in both sports. He helped lead the Princeton men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in 2004.
Venable’s father, Max, played 12 seasons in the major leagues as an outfielder from 1979-91 with the San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and California Angels, before serving as a minor-league manager and coach.
Additionally, Venable’s brother, Winston, was a linebacker at Boise State and played one NFL season for the Bears in 2011.