White Sox Shake Up Coaching Staff as Offseason Begins

The Chicago White Sox season came to its bloody end on Sunday afternoon. After the club suffered 101 losses, Chris Getz and Pedro Grifol will look to make changes in various areas of the organization. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, hitting coach Jose Castro and first base coach Daryl Boston are no longer part of Grifol's staff. Additionally, assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson and assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler will reportedly be reassigned.

Boston's tenure with the White Sox organization ends after 26 years. He served as first-base coach and outfield coordinator for 11 seasons. The 60-year-old held those duties under four different White Sox managers. Boston has a close relationship with former White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams. It's widely speculated that Boston was Williams' eyes and ears in the clubhouse.

Long Overdue

Pedro Grifol recently stated that change was on the horizon for his staff but didn't get into any specifics. General manager Chris Getz has already confirmed that Grifol will return as manager in 2024.

“It’s a very sensitive issue,” Grifol said. “When you talk about the staff, you talk about people that have been here for a long, long time. Unfortunately, this is a game that’s predicated on wins and losses, so obviously, every year, this is a tough time of the year for staff. We’ll talk more about that in the next few days.”

The Sox skipper's comments alluded to Boston and also assistant pitching coach Curt Hasler, who spent seven seasons with the Pale Hose leading the bullpen. Hasler has been in the organization in some capacity since 1987 and will be reassigned to the minor leagues.

Pitching coach Ethan Katz will likely return and work closely with newly hired senior advisor to pitching Brian Bannister. He and Bannister have a close relationship from their time working together with the San Francisco Giants.

More Hitting Coaches

Also among the departed are hitting coach Jose Castro and assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson. Johnson will be reassigned, while Castro is no longer with the organization. Johnson is out after one season following his promotion from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.

Castro joined Grifol's staff from the Atlanta Braves and worked with Major League field coordinator Mike Tosar, who also coached hitters. Tosar joined the coaching staff in Chicago after serving with Grifol under former Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny. The South Siders were 29th in runs scored in 2023.

What's On Tap Next?

The White Sox have yet to make an official announcement but are expected to in the coming days. No reports have indicated what the future of bench coach Charlie Montoyo with the team is, but his position is believed to be safe.

Montoyo, Tosar, Ethan Katz, and four new staff members will tackle the tall task of turning around a 61-101 team.