New White Sox manager Will Venable’s coaching staff will look much like the group that operated last season.
Hitting coach Marcus Thames and pitching coach Ethan Katz are returning, and Grady Sizemore, who finished out the Sox' record 121-loss season for Pedro Grifol as interim manager, is returning for his second season as a coach on the staff.
Justin Jirschele, brought up from Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 8 to coach third base for Sizemore, will return at that post, and first base coach Jason Bourgeois, assistant pitching coach Matt Wise and catchers coach Drew Butera are also expected back, sources told the Sun-Times.
Walker McKinven, the Brewers’ run-prevention coordinator on manager Pat Murphy’s staff, will be Venable’s bench coach. McKinven, 35, a New Trier High School graduate and former minor league pitcher, has been with the Brewers since 2016 and was viewed as a key member of the National League Manager of the Year's staff.
The Sox’ assistant hitting coach is not yet known. Ryan Fuller, 34, was named director of hitting Nov. 14 for a team that ranked last in the majors in multiple offensive categories. Thames enters his second season with the Sox and eighth as a major league hitting coach.
Katz heads into his fifth season as the Sox’ pitching coach.
Mike Gellinger and Doug Sisson, who temporarily joined the major league staff from the Sox’ player development staff when Sizemore became interim manager, are expected to remain in the organization.
The Sox will likely announce staff hires this week.
