White Sox receive high praise for finally prying coveted Rangers coach away

It is hard to warrant praise after losing 121 games in a season, but the Chicago White Sox have done just that by hiring a new manager that has been around winning environments and could potentially revamp their organization.

It was recently reported that Texas Rangers' associate manager Will Venable would become the White Sox' new skipper, and the 44th manager in the franchise's long history. Since the news broke, Venable and the Sox have received a great deal of praise.

"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 statement. “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.”

Venable has long been considered a future manager. Many fans and pundits felt he would eventually take over for Bruce Bochy in Arlington. This belief was supported by the fact that the former player turned down the New York Mets last offseason despite being a prime candidate.

White Sox receive high praise for finally prying coveted Rangers coach away

National reporter Jon Heyman went as far as to call the White Sox' move a "coup." Such praise is a testament to the reputation Venable was able to build with multiple organizations, most notably the Rangers.

"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,” said general manager Chris Getz in a statement. “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.”

Chicago's new hire helped the Rangers win a World Series in 2023, and it seems as though many people throughout MLB feel he can reconstruct a broken clubhouse and help a downtrodden franchise earn back respect.