Rick

Hahn

Hahn has been at the helm for more than a decade in Chicago, ascending to general manager when Williams — who has been with the organization since 1992 — was promoted back in 2012. The White Sox have struggled to a 49-76 record this season, vastly underachieving preseason expectations. It seems like the club will head in a new direction with a complete front office overhaul. There have also been rumblings that there could be ownership changes coming as well in Chicago.

The White technically have a full starting rotation, but they could certainly stand for an upgrade over Dallas Keuchel. Oakland has made it blatantly clear that they intend to continue their firesale, so interest in their starting pitching is sure to grow. Manaea ended the 2021 season with a 3.91 ERA over 179 1/3 innings with 194 strikeouts while Montas posted a 3.37 ERA over 187 frames with 207 punchouts.

It’s a somewhat shocking hire, as La Russa just turned 76 years old and hasn’t managed since “retiring” after the Cardinals’ World Series championship in 2011, but the Hall of Famer has a longstanding relationship with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and it sounds like the club didn’t seriously pursue any other candidates to fill the spot made vacant by Rick Renteria’s firing earlier this month. La Russa served as the White Sox manager from 1979-1986 before moving on to Oakland (1986-1995) and then St. Louis (1996-2011). As it stands, the oldest manager to win a World Series is 72-year-old Jack McKeon with the Marlins in 2003.

This latest report from Levine serves as a good indication that La Russa is a serious candidate for the job, and quite possibly the current favorite. There’s also talk that the White Sox are considering former Diamondbacks and Astros manager A.J. Hinch, whose one-year suspension from baseball officially ended with the conclusion of the 2020 World Series on Tuesday night. White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf will likely have the final say in the end, and he has a close relationship with La Russa that dates back to the late 1970s.

The club wants the new skipper to have input on potential offseason player acquisitions, so they’d like to have a manager in place shortly after the World Series. Levine also confirmed that Tony La Russa has completed his interview with the team and “remains a top candidate in the search.” The White Sox have interviewed other candidates, as well, although Levine didn’t mention any additional names. La Russa is currently serving as an advisor for the Angels. He managed the White Sox from 1979-1986 and maintains a close relationship with owner Jerry Reinsdorf.