Ex-Rangers coach Will Venable dances around Bruce Bochy retirement questions

The aftermath of the past few weeks will be a topic of discussion among Texas Rangers fans for months to come, and the most recent development will have fans simply wondering about what could have been.

Former Rangers associate manager Will Venable was recently hired to be the Chicago White Sox' new skipper. Despite many wondering if the former MLB outfielder would take over for manager Bruce Bochy at some point in Arlington, Venable decided to forge his own path and take on a new challenge in the Windy City.

During a recent appearance on MLB Network, analyst and former player Harold Reynolds asked Venable about the speculation that he was Bochy's heir apparent. The new skipper's response was not direct.

Ex-Rangers coach Will Venable dances around Bruce Bochy retirement questions

"We’d always heard you were the next in line after Bochy in Texas," Reynolds said. "Is that true? And if so, what happened? Why are you in Chicago now, and you didn’t wait that out, so to speak?”

Venable did not provide a particularly lengthy or insightful response on the subject.

"I loved my time in Texas. It was amazing to be there with Boch and and Chris Young, who I love...," Venable said. "But, Boch has got as much energy as ever, and I would never make any assumptions about him and the end of his career and that I would be the next guy. I certainly had an opportunity to learn from him and would like to think that I had a chance at that job. But, this is really about the White Sox for me and the excitement that I have for this opportunity."

While Venable's response could be considered both cordial and warm, it did not provide any clues as to why he waited an extra season to take on a managerial role. He blatantly turned down the New York Mets last offseason, and likely could have had another job if he had wanted it.

With a recent report suggesting that the Rangers would welcome the idea of Bochy managing beyond 2025, it is possible that Venable felt he was left guessing in an awkward spot.

All told, the original plan may never become public. But, Venable's latest comments on the situation may suggest that a layer of internal confusion that was never remedied.