What’s new for the Sox?
The Chicago White Sox have a new manager and added a Gold Glover to the outfield. But they will be tested without first baseman José Abreu’s presence in the lineup and clubhouse.
Those are some of the changes as pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday.
Here’s a closer look at what’s new as the Sox prepare for the season in Glendale, Arizona.
1. The dugout
Pedro Grifol thought about managing while playing in the Minnesota Twins minorleague system. He remembers asking a scout in 1994 about the steps necessary to becoming a skipper.
“He said, ‘First of all, you’ve got to play five more years,’ ” Grifol said in November. “Because back in the day, if you didn’t have at least significant years in the minor leagues, it would be hard for you to get a managing job.
“And I did. I played five more years.”
When his playing career ended, Grifol turned to scouting. He worked his way up through various roles with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals organizations and is beginning his first season managing in the majors with the Sox.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long, long time,” the 53-year-old Grifol said. “But at the same time, I wasn’t in a hurry to get here because the way I was brought up is don’t be in a hurry to get there. Just make sure that when you get there that you’re ready, as opposed to getting there and not being ready and you’re here and gone in a couple years.”
Grifol has stressed communication.
“Right around when he was signed, I talked with him for about 20 to 30 minutes,” Sox starter Dylan Cease said last month during a video conference, “and he introduced himself and let me know how he likes to do things and how he likes to build relationships. And communication is huge with him, which is really important for his job.
“I even had a guy come up to me where I train and he spoke extremely highly of him. He basically said: ‘I was hoping we were going to hire him as a manager. We all love that guy.’ He comes with a lot of positives being said about him.”
Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, hitting coach José Castro, third base coach Eddie Rodríguez, major-league field coordinator Mike Tosar and senior director of sports performance Geoff Head also are new to the organization, while assistant hitting coach
Chris Johnson joins the staff from Triple-A Charlotte.
2. First base
Abreu played at least 109 games at first for the Sox every season since he was a rookie in 2014 — with the exception of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, when he played 56 of the 60 games there.
The veteran with six 100-RBI seasons found a new home in November, signing a three-year deal with the Houston Astros.
The Sox will turn to Andrew Vaughn, who was drafted as a first baseman in 2019 but spent most of his first two seasons in the majors in the outfield.
When it comes to overcoming the loss of Abreu’s production, the Sox know it’s not on only one person or position.
“Obviously we’ll see a lot of Vaughn at first base, which is his natural position,” general manager Rick Hahn said during the winter meetings in December. “So in terms of a physical replacement, we have that. But the production matters. We expect Andrew is going to continue to progress and that’s going to improve not just his production but the rest of the club.
“But there’s still going to be a void when we’re talking about José’s absence, both from an offensive standpoint and in the clubhouse. Some of our young guys are obviously going to be older, more experienced, and a lot of our guys are going to be entering ‘23 with something to prove. And I think they’re going to respond well to that.”
The Sox won’t have to wait long to see Abreu again. They open the regular season March 30 in Houston.
3. Left field
The Sox didn’t make many moves during the offseason, but their biggest turned into the largest contract in franchise history when they signed left fielder Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75 million deal.
AJ Pollock made the most starts in left last season for the Sox. He declined a player option in November and signed with the Mariners.
The left-handed-hitting Benintendi brings some balance to the lineup and an upgrade in the field. He won the American League Gold Glove Award for left field in 2021 and made the All-Star team for the first time last season, when he finished sixth in the AL with a .304 batting average.
The No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft, Benintendi played five seasons for the Boston Red Sox before being sent to the Royals as part of a three-team trade before the 2021 season.