Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz declined to comment Wednesday on a report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that it’s only a matter of time before Pedro Grifol is relieved of his managerial duties.
Getz called the report “speculation” and declined to offer any thoughts on Grifol’s future, saying he would address the subject at another time.
While it’s not surprising to hear that Grifol is on the hot seat with the Sox riding a 12-game losing streak and on pace to lose a record 122 games heading into Game 2 of the City Series on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, Rosenthal was the first to report that it’s already decided and “the only question is when it will happen.”
Rosenthal said an anonymous Sox player told him “Grifol’s misstep was going public” with his recent criticism that the team looked “f—— flat” in a loss to the Baltimore Orioles. That was a rare moment of public criticism from Grifol toward his players. For the most part he has gone out of his way to defend them over the last two seasons, earning the wrath of Sox fans and media for “sugarcoating” their problems.
Asked about The Athletic report before Wednesday’s game, Grifol said he hadn’t heard about it.
“No, what did it say?” he asked.
Grifol was told the report speculated he would be gone at some point.
“This is part of the job, right?” he said. “Go ahead and ask your questions, but I’m not going to address this every single day.”
Is he able to shrug it off?
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol watches batting practice before a game against the Cubs on June 5, 2024, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
“I’m fine with it, addressing these questions, but I’m not going to sit here and address it every day,” he repeated. “But I don’t focus on that stuff. It’s a part of the job. We’re not winning. So when you’re not winning, speculations get higher and higher. It’s a part of what we do.
“We get signed up to win baseball games, and when you don’t, there’s always a possibility of a change being made. I didn’t read the article. I understand the question. I understand the stories. I get it all. I’ll answer the questions. But my answer is always going to be the same.”
Grifol is in the second year of a three-year contract after replacing Tony La Russa after the 2022 season, when La Russa resigned for health issues. La Russa is healthy again and has been with the Sox since the start of spring training, following the team at home and on the road as an adviser to Getz and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Asked if he would speak to Getz about the report, Grifol replied: “No, why would I do that? I mean, I don’t make those decisions. And I’m certainly not going to worry about it.
“My concern is making sure that this team is ready to play tonight, making adjustments from yesterday and trying to see if we can snap this losing streak that’s no fun and extremely painful because we’ve lost some painful games.
“But I’m certainly not going to make this about me and my future here. I’m not going to decide that anyway and I don’t make those decisions.”
Former White Sox player Frank Thomas, left, and general manager Chris Getz talk before a game against the Cubs on June 5, 2024, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Grifol said last week that he believed he had the support of Reinsdorf, who will ultimately have the final decision on his future after Getz makes his call.
“I feel fortunate that I work for an owner like Jerry,” he said. “I just think that he’s been in this game for 44, 45 years, and he’s a baseball guy. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work for him and wear this uniform with them. So I’m grateful to be here.”
Reinsdorf, who doesn’t make himself available to the media, thought he had a team in place that would be competitive for the rest of the decade when they made the postseason in 2021 for the second straight year. He had several young stars under contract for years in Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jiménez, Tim Anderson, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech, and a Hall of Fame manager in La Russa.
But it all began to go south in 2022 and spiraled out of control during a 101-loss season under Grifol in 2023, leading to the second rebuild since 2017. But Getz’s plans have not worked out, and the July trade deadline will afford the Sox an opportunity to get rid of veterans with value such as Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong, Kopech, Jiménez and others while bringing up some prospects for the final two months.
Is Grifol the right guy to manage a team that would basically be developing at the major-league level while trying to avoid setting a franchise record for losses? Would Reinsdorf turn to bench coach Charlie Montoyo or even La Russa to finish the season? La Russa 3.0 would be a stretch, but he certainly appears healthy again and has watched this team enough to handle the final four months until a replacement is found for 2025.
With the team in free fall, nothing would be out of the realm of possibility.
The Sox not only have to try to attract fans to Guaranteed Rate Field, they also need to get fans excited about the future in time for the new TV venture that was announced this week to replace NBC Sports Chicago. The Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks said the new network would consist of “traditional cable providers, streaming services and free, over-the-air broadcasts” but offered no details about their plans.
Popular Sox analyst Steve Stone is in the final year of his deal and would have to be re-signed. Without Stone, Sox broadcasts would have to rely on unproven play-by-play man John Schriffen, who has been polarizing in his first two months on the job with a style that grates on some fans.
Also up in the air is NBC Sports Chicago studio analyst Ozzie Guillén, whose hard-hitting analysis on the pre and postgame shows have made him must-see TV for Sox fans. Many fans would like to see Guillén replace Grifol, though Guillén interviewed for the opening when La Russa left and was not seriously considered by former GM Rick Hahn.
One reporter told Grifol that it was a “hard job” and said no one could tell him who would do it better than him. Grifol said he knows what he and his coaches “bring to the table” and they “bleed this” job.
“Whether there are other guys out there that could do a better job or not, I really don’t (know),” he said.
Grifol’s seat will only get hotter as summer heats up and the team continues to flounder. Sooner or later, Getz will have offer a statement of support or cut bait and try something else.
