The Chicago White Sox could be going from the manager with the worst record in the AL to a manager with one of the worst records in the NL.
The nightmare 28-89 White Sox finally made the decision on Thursday to fire skipper Pedro Grifol after one-and-a-half seasons at the helm. Grifol posted by far the lowing winning percentage of any manager in franchise history, going 89-190 (.319) and overseeing a 21-game losing streak this season that Chicago mercifully just brought to an end.
While Grady Sizemore has been selected as interim manager for the White Sox, Jon Morosi of MLB Network named current Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as one possible candidate for the permanent job in Chicago. Morosi also mentioned former Toronto manager John Gibbons and Detroit pitching coach Chris Fetter as two other potential options.
Schumaker is the most interesting name there. He is in the final season of his contract with the Marlins and is not expected to return after a bout of offseason drama. The 43-72 Marlins are almost as horrid as the White Sox are, but that may largely be the result of management totally gutting their roster from last season. With Schumaker at the helm in 2023, Miami went 84-78 and earned a surprise NL playoff berth.
A former MLB outfielder and second baseman, Schumaker is still only 44 years old. No manager is going to be able to turn that dumpster fire in Chicago around overnight. But the best bet might be an already-proven playoff-caliber manager and one who also still has room for growth like Schumaker does.
