The Chicago White Sox have taken a significant step in addressing their disastrous 2024 season by firing manager Pedro Grifol on Thursday. The move comes after less than two years of Grifol’s tenure, during which the team has endured one of its worst performances in franchise history. Currently holding a 28-89 record, the White Sox are 14 games behind the next-worst team in Major League Baseball.
“As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” said White Sox general manager Chris Getz. Getz, who was promoted to replace longtime GM Rick Hahn last summer, acknowledged the effort and professionalism Grifol and his staff brought to the field daily. “These two seasons have been very challenging. Unfortunately, the results were not there, and a change is necessary as we look to our future and the development of a new energy around the team.”
Alongside Grifol, bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez, and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were also let go as part of the organizational shake-up. The search for a new manager will begin immediately, though a final decision is not expected until after the current season concludes. In the meantime, Grady Sizemore has been appointed as the interim manager for the remainder of the 2024 season, with Doug Sisson stepping in as bench coach, Justin Jirschele as third-base coach, and Mike Gellinger as assistant hitting coach.
Grifol’s departure marks a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded his hiring in November 2022. He was brought in to replace Tony La Russa, who stepped down due to heart issues. The hope was that Grifol could modernize the team’s management and build upon the success of the previous seasons. Under La Russa’s leadership, the White Sox had a mixed but hopeful record, finishing 81-81 in 2022 and 93-69 in 2021—the latter being the best since their 2005 World Series win.
However, Grifol’s tenure did not deliver the expected results. The White Sox managed just 61 wins in 2023, a steep decline from the previous year, and their performance in 2024 has been historically poor. With a 28-89 record, they are on pace to be one of the worst teams in MLB history, and Grifol’s winning percentage ranks as the third-worst of all time.
The 2024 White Sox are projected to lose 120 games, which would surpass their current franchise record of 106 losses, set in 1970. The team recently ended a 21-game losing streak, the second-longest in modern MLB history, falling just two games short of the record set by the 1961 Phillies. If the losing trend continues, the Sox could match the worst season in modern MLB history, set by the 1962 Mets, who finished with a 40-120-1 record in their inaugural year.
To avoid hitting that ignominious mark, the White Sox would need to win 15 of their final 45 games—a tall order given their current form. The organization’s focus now shifts to finding a manager who can instill a renewed sense of purpose and energy as they rebuild for the future.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 8, 2024
391 managers have managed at least 279 games.
— David Salituro (@DavidSalituro) August 8, 2024
Pedro Grifol's .319 winning percentage is the third-worst among them. Only John McCloskey (Louisville, 1895-1896; St. Louis, 1906-1908) and Doc Prothro (Philadelphia, 1939-1941) were worse.