“White Sox should hire Will Venable as manager”

The White Sox have agreed to hire Will Venable as manager, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports. Venable has spent the last two seasons as Rangers' assistant manager in Bruce Bochy's team. Major League Baseball discourages teams from revealing news on days when there is a playoff game, so it's unlikely the Sox will make the hiring official before Thursday.

In any case, it's a nice birthday present. Venable, who turns 42 today, is getting his first chance as a major league manager. This seemed inevitable for a few seasons. Venable has been considered a future manager for years. He is a Princeton graduate who played parts of nine major league seasons. He gained most of his playing experience in San Diego, where he was a versatile everyday outfielder for several years.

Venable ended his playing days in 2016. It didn't take long for him to move on to the next phase of his career. He joined the Cubs front office toward the end of the '17 campaign. Venable moved into coaching the following year, joining Joe Maddon's team as first base coach. Teams considered hiring him as manager within a few seasons. Venable interviewed for the Cubs job after Maddon left the organization, while also hanging out with the Giants and Astros.

Chicago ultimately chose David Ross. Venable remained on Ross' staff for the 2020 season and was again in search of a manager the following offseason. He interviewed with the Tigers and Red Sox, and although neither team was hired as manager, Boston named him replacement coach shortly after reinstating Alex Cora.

Venable spent two seasons in Boston. While the Red Sox hoped to bring him back for 2023, he left to take the associate manager role in Arlington. It proved to be a wise decision, as Venable earned a World Series ring in his first year with the Rangers. He withdrew from the leadership race last offseason, officially declining an interview with the Mets and passing up the chance to pursue the Guardians' opening.

Between his status as the No. 2 coach in Texas and his decision not to pursue the interview last winter, Venable seemed like a manager-in-waiting in Arlington. Bochy will be back with the Rangers for at least a third season and has not publicly commented on his plans to retire. It is not clear whether circumstances have changed in Texas. Venable may simply have felt he needed another year of experience before he could manage a dugout.

Whatever the reason, it's clear he saw this winter as the right time to look for a leadership opportunity. So far there have only been three open positions. The Reds quickly brought Terry Francona out of retirement. That left the White Sox and Marlins. Venable not only applied for both positions, but was also a finalist in both applications. The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that he and Guardians backup coach Craig Albernaz were finalists for the Marlins' position. There has been no word from Miami since Venable took the Sox job, but one can assume that Albernaz will likely end up in South Florida.

More will follow.