Venable Revitalizes the White Sox! New Addition Brings Spark to the Team
Regardless of when they decided to eventually let him go, it became clear last season that Pedro Grifol was not going to be the manager of the Chicago White Sox when spring training kicked off in 2025.
After interviewing a large array of candidates for the managerial position at the onset of the offseason, 42-year-old MLB veteran Will Venable was the choice made by Chris Getz and the rest of the White Sox front office.
Early indications have been positive this spring with Venable taking on his first head coaching job with the White Sox. While his experience might not match some of the other names considered for the position, Venable matches this team.
Given the current status of the roster, Venable’s emphasis on growth has been apparent thus far. Compared to recent years, he is presenting an optimistic but realistic approach this spring.
The youth movement is underway with veterans there to fill roles, but the focal point of the team is their future stars.
On Saturday, the White Sox jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third inning against Seattle in their eighth game of spring training. For the final three frames of the game, Chicago turned to a bunch of players active from minor league camp for the day, including a couple highly-regarded prospects.
Getting prospects some playing time in spring training is common, but it does feel more prevalent this spring for Chicago. Particularly for a young player like George Wolkow, for example, who got to make his spring training debut at 19 years old.
Venable spoke on Sunday, and I asked about the value he sees in getting these players into games during the spring.
“You get to see guys throughout the organization that you hear about. Minor league coaches in camp are singing these guys praises, and to see them do their thing out there has been really cool,” said Venable.
While it is important to acknowledge that it’s just spring training, these reps are useful for the development of these young players.
Beyond just playing MiLB camp players, there is true competition in camp this year for a number of roster spots on both sides of the ball. Many of these spots could be earned by prospects over the course of the next few weeks.
With Kyle Teel added to the mix from the Garrett Crochet trade, the catching position has become a strength of the farm with two high-end prospects — Teel and Edgar Quero — leading the way.
Teel had one of the most viral moments of the spring when he took Roki Sasaki deep, and Quero is coming off a huge season between Double-A and Triple-A.
Beyond those two, Adam Hackenberg had a big day in Saturday’s game, and Korey Lee is still developing and expected to make the roster.
Venable has put a big emphasis on the growth of these catchers and their role behind the dish throughout spring. He specifically did so when asked about how they performed this week.
“Offense is always great to get from those guys, but it’s really about developing those relationships with the pitchers,” said Venable.
He continued to discuss the importance of their game calling and communication at the position. While Quero and Teel are still somewhat unlikely to crack the Opening Day roster, they’re on the way.
Venable is still settling into his new role, but at this stage it feels like a good fit considering Chicago’s youthful roster and the emphasis the organization has put on development.
Time will tell if he’s the manager who can lead this team into a contention window and thrive, but early indications at spring training are strong.
