The Chicago White Sox got an early start on seeking their next manager after firing Pedro Grifol, much to the dismay of the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Thursday morning, the Chicago White Sox finally fired their fall guy, manager Pedro Grifol, after one of the worst seasons in MLB history. Grifol was set up for failure since Chris Getz has been open about wanting to rebuild on Chicago’s south side. The young manager didn’t do himself any favors — and Getz probably didn’t expect things to get this bad — but even the best of captains couldn’t have made much of a difference guiding a club this barren of skill.
By removing Grifol now, something most insiders and commentators expected to happen before the end of the season, the White Sox gain an advantage over the competition. Getz can pursue his next manager sooner rather than later.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders, and join the Discord channel to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
White Sox already have a favorite to replace Pedro Grifol
Current Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker has been mentioned as a logical candidate. Robert Murray, a FanSided MLB insider, wrote about the potential earlier this week:
“Schumaker and the Miami Marlins rescinded the team option from his 2025 contract before the 2024 season, and the expectation in baseball is that he will leave the Marlins after this season…He will be the best managerial candidate available and should pique the curiosity of many organizations, including the White Sox,” Murray said.
Murray isn’t the first insider to mention this possibility; USA Today’s Bob Nightengale stated that Schumaker is believed to be one of the frontrunners for the White Sox position.
How the White Sox screwed over the St. Louis Cardinals
While the White Sox’s fate has been sealed for some time, the St. Louis Cardinals are competing for an NL Wild Card position. If the Cardinals fail to make the playoffs despite this level of front-office expenditure, Oli Marmol might be blamed. Marmol left a terrible impact in the clubhouse in 2023, and the Cardinals would miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
Marmol signed a one-year deal prior to the season, with John Mozeliak using the standard excuse that they didn’t want a manager heading the squad on an expired contract. That’s wonderful and excellent, but given ownership’s trade deadline decisions and salary investment, keeping Marmol after another failed postseason would significantly reduce the bar in St. Louis.
Schumaker, a former Cardinal, would be a natural choice if Mozeliak fired Marmol. Schumaker, like most of us, does not want to be a backup plan. He also has ties to the White Sox through Tony La Russa, who is still with the team. Any advantage, even time, might disrupt the Cardinals’ plans in a few months.
Hopefully, Marmol can lead his squad to the postseason and avoid such a fate entirely.
