Chicago White Sox

Veteran outfielder Andrew Benintendi has agreed to a five-year, $75 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers first reported the deal.

The 28-year-old played four months with the Kansas City Royals last season before the New York Yankees acquired him July 27. His performance at the plate yielded a mixed bag.

In 126 games, Benintendi hit five home runs —a career low over a full 162-game season —and saw his isolated power fall from .166 in 2021 to .095, per FanGraphs.

While the power production wasn't present, he set personal bests for batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.373) while posting a wOBA (.342) above his career average (.337).

Although Benintendi made the All-Star team for the first time, it reflected the dearth of alternatives on the Royals rather than his value on the field.

He set the bar high when he got his start in MLB with the Boston Red Sox. He was the runner-up to Aaron Judge in 2017 American League Rookie of the Year voting and followed up by posting a .290/366/.465 slash line while playing plus defense in 2018. His 4.9 WAR ranked 18th among position players, per FanGraphs.

The 2015 first-round pick has since failed to match that level, and he may struggle to carry his numbers from 2022 over to 2023.

He outperformed his expected batting average (.273), per Baseball Savant, and his .352 BABIP was the seventh-highest among hitters with at least 500 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs.

However, Benintendi owed his success partially to a change in his mindset in the batter's box. He explained to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Zach Buchanan how he learned to play to his strengths:

"My approach right now is realizing I'm not going to hit 35 homers. It's getting on base, be a tough out, see pitches, use the whole field. This year, it's finally come together. Playing in Kauffman Stadium, too, it's not easy to hit a ball out of there. Just spraying the ball all over the field. It was more just approach, trying to go straight right field, and then you're susceptible to an off-speed pitch. I'm trying to go straight up the middle and if you're early, you're early. If you're late, you've still got the left field line."

He struck out at his lowest rate ever (14.8 percent) and altered where he was depositing the ball off the bat. He had his fewest percentage of balls in play to right field (30.5 percent) and his highest percentage to center field (41.0 percent).

Although Benintendi will probably never hit the elite tier it seemed he might approach after 2018, he has adapted to become a steady hitter who capably patrols the outfield.

His addition won't transform Chicago's offense, but it addresses a clear need.

Benintendi will replace AJ Pollock, the 35-year-old who played most of the season in left field before hitting free agency. The White Sox add a younger option at the position and a solid hitter to help fill the void left by José Abreu.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly have no plans of trading shortstop Tim Anderson this offseason.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the White Sox plan to keep Anderson as they maintain a "short-term focus" on success.

Anderson is under team control through the 2024 season and is owed just $26.5 million for the remainder of his contract, so there's understandably no urgency to make a move. It's Anderson will remain in Chicago beyond his current contract with Colson Montgomery rising up the minor league ranks, but the 2021 first-round pick is not ready to make his MLB debut.

Retaining Anderson for the 2023 season and then revisiting his status heading into 2024 makes a ton more sense—particularly given the front office's desire to make the playoffs.

Anderson missed 83 games to injury last season but was stellar when in the lineup, hitting .301/.339/.395 with six home runs and 25 runs batted in. He was on pace for the best season of his career in April and May before suffering a groin strain that seemed to sap the power out of his swing and limit his effectiveness on the basepaths.

The White Sox eventually shut him down for the season in August after he suffered a torn finger ligament.

“I kind of understood the process,” Anderson told reporters in September. “I kept working, tried to get in the best position to get back healthy. But just couldn't quite get there.

“[I'm just going to] try to get healthy, for the most part, and just continue to keep building. Hopefully, [I] can continue to get better.”

Anderson has been an All-Star representative for the White Sox each of the last two seasons.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly could trade closer Liam Hendriks.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the right-hander's "name has come up in trade talks with other clubs" even though he has a limited no-trade clause on his contract that would let him veto a move to five specific teams.

Hendriks would be a major addition to any team in need of bullpen help.

His resume includes three All-Star selections and two Rivera Reliever Awards, and he was still effective this past season even though he may be slightly past his prime and turning 34 years old in February.

The White Sox closer finished with a 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 37 saves and 85 strikeouts in 57.2 innings last year after leading the league with 38 saves in 2021. He was an All-Star both seasons he pitched for Chicago and also earned the distinction in 2018 as a member of the Oakland Athletics.

In all, he has played for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Athletics and White Sox since the 2011 campaign.

It may be somewhat surprising to see the White Sox exploring a potential trade with one of their impact players considering they are coming off two playoff appearances in the last three years and surely have hopes of competing for an American League Central crown in 2023.

However, Chicago could land quite the return in a trade for Hendriks, especially since he wouldn't be a rental player given he is under team control until after the 2024 season.

For now, his name is just part of the rumor mill, but he is someone who could help the White Sox retool depending on the return all while anchoring the bullpen for whichever team traded for him.

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a deal with free-agent starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Clevinger was up and down in his return to the mound in 2022 after missing all of 2021 because of Tommy John surgery.

The right-hander finished the season with a 4.33 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 114.1 innings, tallying a 7-7 record for the San Diego Padres. He allowed seven earned runs in two postseason starts, totaling just 2.2 innings.

San Diego first acquired Clevinger in a July 2020 trade with Cleveland that included nine players. He performed well in his new location, producing a 2.84 ERA in four starts, but he was limited by an elbow injury.

After pitching just one inning in the postseason that year, Clevinger was shut down and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He also had the procedure in 2012 while in the minors with the Los Angeles Angels system.

The 31-year-old has been a frontline starter in the past, posting a 2.96 ERA across 88 appearances from 2017-20, adding a 1.153 WHIP with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

He appeared in seven postseason games with Cleveland, including three in the World Series in 2016.

The experience and past production could make Clevinger a high-upside addition in free agency if he can stay healthy and return to his previous form.

Chicago went 81-81 last season, but the talented roster could be dangerous with another top starter alongside Dylan Cease.

Chicago White Sox outfielder AJ Pollock has declined his $13 million contract option for the 2023 season and will become a free agent, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

Pollock will receive a $5 million buyout as a result.

The White Sox acquired Pollock from the Los Angeles Dodgers just six days before the 2022 campaign began in exchange for Craig Kimbrel.

His decision to decline the option on his contract comes as somewhat of a surprise given his performance in 2022. He slashed .245/.292/.389 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 138 games with the White Sox.

The 34-year-old began his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and spent seven seasons with the franchise, earning his only All-Star selection in 2015 after slashing .315/.367/.498 with 20 home runs, 76 RBI and 39 stolen bases in 157 games. He also earned a Gold Glove that year.

After his stint with the Diamondbacks, Pollock joined the Dodgers for three seasons and helped the franchise claim a World Series title in 2020. His best season with the Blue Crew came in 2021, when he slashed .297/.355/.536 with 21 home runs, 69 RBI and nine stolen bases in 117 games.

Now that Pollock is set to become a free agent, the White Sox will have an additional $10 million to spend in free agency. However, it's unclear if they'll use that money to add another outfielder alongside Eloy Jiménez, Luis Robert Jr. and Adam Engel.

Aaron Judge is expected to be the most sought-after outfielder on the market, but players like Andrew Benintendi, Tommy Pham, Joey Gallo and Joc Pederson might be more reasonable targets for the White Sox.

The White Sox also need to focus on re-signing slugger José Abreu and pitcher Johnny Cueto, among others.

The Chicago White Sox found their next manager.

They officially announced Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol will take over the job vacated by Tony La Russa.

The managerial position was open because Russa announced in October he would not be back in 2023 because of multiple health issues. He was away from the team since Aug. 31, and the White Sox announced on Sept. 24 he would not return during the 2022 campaign.

Bench coach Miguel Cairo managed the team while La Russa was away.

While La Russa is a Hall of Famer with three World Series titles and four Manager of the Year awards during a career that included stops with the White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, the 2022 season was a massive disappointment for Chicago.

The team won the American League Central with a 93-69 record in 2021, and anything short of a deep playoff run in 2022 would have been falling short of expectations.

Chicago didn't even make the postseason and finished with an 81-81 record. It was a major step back in a winnable division, as the Cleveland Guardians' 92-70 mark was the worst record for any division winner in all of baseball.

The White Sox won the 2005 World Series with Ozzie Guillen as the manager but have made the playoffs just three times since without a single postseason series victory. One rival executive called them "the most underachieving team in the last 50 years," per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

That is the backdrop for Grifol as he begins his new role and attempts to do what Robin Ventura, Rick Renteria and La Russa couldn't after Guillen and lead the team back into the World Series.

Grifol faces plenty of pressure in a major market, and last year's failures in Chicago only serve to underscore the urgency for a team that features a number of notable players, including Luis Robert, Dylan Cease, Eloy Jiménez and Tim Anderson.

The expectation will once again be the American League Central crown at the very worst even though it is Grifol's first season as a Major League manager.

He has experience as a scout, minor league instructor, hitting coach and, most recently, the bench coach of the Royals. He is familiar with the division from his time in Kansas City and will now look to establish a consistent winner in the Windy City.

The Chicago White Sox have reportedly found their new manager.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the White Sox are expected to announce later this week they will hire Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol as their skipper.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier in the day that Grifol and New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza were among the finalists for Chicago's managerial job.

Tony La Russa announced on Oct. 3 that he was stepping down as manager of the White Sox because of health concerns.

Prior to the announcement, La Russa hadn't managed a game since Aug. 28. The team announced three days later that he underwent a medical evaluation and would return home to Arizona for further evaluation with his personal doctors.

On Sept. 11, La Russa confirmed to Janie McCauley of the Associated Press he had a pacemaker inserted for his heart.

Bench coach Miguel Cairo, who joined La Russa's staff prior to the 2021 season, served as interim manager for the remainder of the campaign.

This was La Russa's second stint as manager of the White Sox. He previously led the team from 1979 to 1986. The 78-year-old was hired in October 2020 to replace Rick Renteria. It was his first managerial job since retiring after leading the St. Louis Cardinals to the 2011 World Series title.

The White Sox went 93-69 and won the American League Central for the first time since 2008 in La Russa's first season. A combination of injuries and disappointing performances saw the team miss the playoffs with an 81-81 record this year.

Grifol has been working as a coach with the Royals since 2013. He was drafted as a player by the Minnesota Twins in 1991 and spent nine seasons in the minors with the Twins and New York Mets before retiring after the 1999 campaign.

After retiring as a player, Grifol worked in scouting and player development with the Seattle Mariners. The 52-year-old served as a manager for the High Desert Mavericks, Seattle's Class A affiliate, in 2012.

The Chicago White Sox are expected to interview Ozzie Guillén next week for their vacant managerial position, per Michael Allardyce of NBC Sports Chicago.

The White Sox have already had discussions with Guillén, Allardyce added, and his name has been mentioned as a potential candidate since it was announced that Tony La Russa would not return in 2023.

La Russa stepped down as manager of the White Sox on Oct. 3 because of health concerns that left him unable to manage games since the end of August. He was having an issue with a pacemaker he got in February, and he announced the day he stepped down that he was also dealing with a new ailment.

The 78-year-old had managed the White Sox for the last two seasons, going 174-150 in that span. Chicago reached the American League Division Series in 2021, falling to the Houston Astros in four games, and failed to make the postseason this year after finishing 81-81.

La Russa also managed the White Sox from 1979-1986 and spent time managing the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals before returning to Chicago.

Guillén told NBC Sports Chicago earlier this month that he was interested in taking the White Sox managerial role, per Allardyce.

"It is not in my plans. I don't know if it is in the White Sox' plans," he said. "Even if they think I can help them for next year, I'm very open to listening to it."

He added: "I will respect the game. I will respect the organization. But meanwhile, I'm fine where I am and do what I do."

Guillén has not managed a Major League Baseball club since 2012, when he led the Miami Marlins to a 69-93 record before being fired after his only season with the franchise.

The 58-year-old began his managerial career with the White Sox in 2004, serving as the team's manager through the 2011 campaign. He went 678-617 in that span and led the team to a World Series title in 2005, when he was also named Manager of the Year.

The White Sox have cast a wide net in the early stages of their latest managerial search. Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington, Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol are among those in the mix for the position, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington, Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol and Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada are reportedly among the top candidates in the Chicago White Sox's wide-ranging search for a new manager.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the update Friday, with a rival MLB executive saying the White Sox wrapped up the 2022 season as the "most underachieving team in the last 50 years."

"You know I don't comment on rumors," team owner Jerry Reinsdorf told Heyman when asked about the managerial vacancy.

Chicago entered the season as the favorite to win the AL Central, and FanGraphs projected the club with the eighth-best odds to win the World Series at 5.3 percent.

The South Siders didn't come close to reaching those expectations. They posted an 81-81 record and a negative run differential (minus-31) while finishing 11 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the division and five games behind the AL's final wild-card spot.

Tony La Russa, who was hired by the White Sox in October 2020, stepped away from the team in August to focus on his health. He stepped down from the managerial role in early October, saying his recovery from heart problems would extend into the 2023 season.

Miguel Cairo managed the club on an interim basis for the remainder of 2022, but so far doesn't appear among the main targets to fill the full-time role.

Washington is the name that stands out among the candidates listed by Heyman for a club that could use a culture shift.

The 70-year-old former Texas Rangers manager has established himself as a no-nonsense leader with a work ethic that's unsurpassed around MLB.

He's well known for his relentless infield work, and the impact of his daily pregame drills with the Braves aren't simply an intangible.

Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley, who posted a minus-nine defensive runs saved (DRS) at third base over his first two MLB seasons, has compiled a plus-19 DRS over the past two years, per FanGraphs.

"Working with Wash every day, he's watching every little thing," Riley told Scott Miller of the New York Times last October. "Every ball he's hitting, he's making sure you're making the right moves."

Washington also owns a strong managerial track record, racking up a 664-611 record and a pair of World Series appearances across eight seasons with the Rangers (2007-14). He won a World Series ring last year with the Braves, who hired him in 2017.

The White Sox have the talent to contend, and the former MLB infielder is the type of manager who would ensure the work is being put in to reach the club's full potential.

Chicago hasn't announced a timetable for making a decision about filling the vacancy.