Stassi, 32, missed the entirety of the 2023 season to deal with a serious family issue. He also left the team during spring training to deal with a hip injury.

He spent the first six seasons of his career on the Houston Astros. Between 2019-22, Stassi played for the Los Angeles Angels. In 2022, Stassi played 102 games, hitting .180 with a .571 OPS.

He’s a wall behind the plate. Stassi saved 10 defensive runs in 2021, keeping up a positive value over his career in that category.

The White Sox are without Yasmani Grandal, who plans to explore his options in free agency. They called up Korey Lee, who they acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for Kendall Graveman.

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It’s completely unknown how far the Cubs went in talks with Ohtani, if at all. Ohtani’s camp did a tremendous job keeping his free agency preferences under wraps.

Still, a $700 million contract is a tough deal to offer for any franchise. Here’s a look at the most money the Cubs have plunked down for a player.

Largest contracts in Cubs history by total value

1. Jason Heyward: $184 million (eight years)

2. Dansby Swanson: $177 million (seven years)

3. Jon Lester: $155 million (six years)

4. Alfonso Soriano: $136 million (eight years)

5. Yu Darvish: $126 million (six years)

6. Seiya Suzuki: $99.6 million* (five years)

7. Carlos Zambrano: $91.5 million (five-year extension)

*Suzuki’s contract will pay him $85 million. His deal is worth $99.6 million total when including the posting fee that the Cubs paid his NPB club in Japan.

Others include:

— Aramis Ramirez: Five-year, $75 million extension in 2006

— Sammy Sosa: Four-year, $72 million extension in 2001

— Marcus Stroman: Three-year, $71 million free agent deal

— Jameson Taillon: Four-year, $68 million free agent deal

Largest average annual salaries in Cubs history

1. Jon Lester: $25.8 million

2. Dansby Swanson: $25.3 million

3. Marcus Stroman: $23.7 million

4. Jason Heyward: $23 million

5. Yu Darvish: $21 million

6. Kris Bryant* $19.5 million

7. Kris Bryant** $18.6 million

8. Carlos Zambrano: $18.3 million

9. Sammy Sosa: $18 million (extension signed in 2001)

*Bryant and the Cubs came to terms to avoid arbitration entering the 2021 season.

**Bryant and the Cubs came to terms to avoid arbitration entering the 2020 season. However, MLB salaries were ultimately prorated in the shortened 60-game campaign.

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“Yoshinobu Yamamoto has generated so much interest from both New York teams and other big-market franchises that the Cubs are not expected to proceed in those high-stakes negotiations,” Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma wrote.

According to Jim Bowden, Yamamoto’s deal is expected to reach somewhere around $300 million. That deal would place him in the realm of being one of the highest-paid pitchers in all of baseball.

It was once reported the Cubs were among the favorites to land the right-hander. But as the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes drag on, teams are seemingly starting to move onto other free agents. Yamamoto’s contract could be viewed as a daunting path to take, too. He’s never pitched in MLB.

Yamamoto, 25, is one of the hottest commodities on the MLB free agency market this offseason. He’s pitched in Japan on the Forgein level and in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. All-encompassed, he holds a 1.72 ERA over nearly 1,000 innings pitched.

He turned heads during the World Baseball Classic, proving to be one of the best pitchers in the tournament. With tournament champion Team Japan, he pitched 7.1 innings and held a 2.45 ERA. He struck out 12 batters and allowed a blistering .160 batting average to his opponents, putting himself among the league’s best.

The Cubs have been attached to several starting pitchers this offseason. And for good reason. They finished 14th in MLB last season for pitching staff ERA. They’re also seemingly losing Marcus Stroman, who finished with a 3.95 ERA, from their rotation, too.

Counsell & Co. are currently left with Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.

Of course, they’re in on the Ohtani sweepstakes. From the report, it seems the Cubs are still interested in trading for Glasnow, without the inclusion of Christopher Morel in a hypothetical trade. They also have Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga “on their radar,” according to Mooney and Sharma.

But, to give a pitcher who’s never pitched in the major leagues $300 million screams buyers beware. The Cubs have priorities. But their disinterest in Yamamoto begs the question — what will they do in an Ohtani-less world?

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Drohan, 24, pitched at two levels in 2023, posting a 5.05 ERA in 27 appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in Boston’s minor league system. He struck out 129 batters in 123 innings and was used primarily as a starter, making 25 total starts between the two teams.

Originally, he was a fifth-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2020 MLB Draft out of Florida State.

Under MLB rules, the White Sox will pay the Red Sox $100,000 for Drohan’s rights. He will be assigned to the team’s 26-man roster and would need to be placed on waivers to be removed from the roster during the 2024 season.
If he were to clear waivers, he would be offered back to the Red Sox for $50,000.

“It’s an opportunity to take a shot at an arm that we feel has a potential to have some survival skills at the major league level, to begin with, and long term with a little bit of upside that could potentially be a rotation piece or a reliever of some sort,” White Sox Chris Getz said of Drohan at the Winter Meetings.

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The move drew quick reservations, as Fedde has notoriously performed poorly over his career with the Washington Nationals. Although, he rejuvenated his career in the KBO in Korea during his 2023 campaign.

In 30 total starts, Fedde posted a 20-6 record with a 2.00 ERA, striking out 209 batters in 1801.1 innings, winning the KBO’s Most Valuable Player Award for his efforts with the NC Dinos.

What’s more, White Sox senior pitching advisor Brian Bannister added some wrinkles to his game that aren’t listed on the scouting report.

In parts of six MLB seasons, Fedde has a 21-33 record with a 5.41 ERA, appearing in a total of 102 games.

It is expected that Fedde will join the White Sox rotation for the 2024 season.

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Tyler Glasnow, pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, is available on the trade market for the right price. And the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are both reportedly interested in the right-hander, according to Jon Morosi, barring the completion of Ohtani’s next deal.

From the Cubs’ perspective, one pivotal name has surfaced in the Glasnow trade talks, according to Bob Nightengale.

Glasnow, 30, will become a free agent after the 2024 season. He’s scheduled to make $25 million for this upcoming season on his current deal.

Concerns have been voiced about his workload, as his past season’s innings pitched (120) marked a career-high for him. Last season also marked the first year Glasnow started in over 20 games.

Although his availability has waned over the majority of his career, his strikeout numbers remain high. Glasnow struck out 162 batters in those 120 innings last season, finishing the season with a blistering 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

His 3.53 ERA and 1.083 WHIP are difficult to look past, too. Glasnow allowed 47 earned runs in 485 batters faced last season. His services would immediately boost a Cubs rotation that includes Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad.

On the other hand, Morel, 24, is one of the team’s main sources of power. He hit 26 home runs in just 388 at-bats last season. Behind Seiya Suzuki, Morel led the team in OPS last season (.821).

If the team parted ways with Morel, they’d have a considerable gap to close in terms of power. Cody Bellinger is also a free agent this offseason. He hit 26 home runs and knocked in 97 runs with the Cubs last season.

The Cubs certainly need upgrades to their starting rotation. If it’s not Glasnow, there are other options the Cubs have in front of them. One MLB insider considers them favorites to land Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, should the Cubs miss out on Ohtani.

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Seen as heavy pursuers in now two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, they’re also interested in another Japanese star — right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“The 25-year-old right-hander will decide among a who’s who of teams interested in him: The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Cubs are among the favorites, with the Giants, Blue Jays and Phillies also expected to be in the mix,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.

Yamamoto, 25, is one of the hottest commodities on the MLB free agency market this offseason. He’s pitched in Japan on the Forgein level and in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. All-encompassed, he holds a 1.72 ERA over nearly 1,000 innings pitched.

He turned heads during the World Baseball Classic, proving to be one of the best pitchers in the tournament. With tournament champion Team Japan, he pitched 7.1 innings and held a 2.45 ERA. He struck out 12 batters and allowed a blistering .160 batting average to his opponents, putting himself among the league’s best.

The Cubs starting rotation needs assistance. That’s part of the reason they’re heavy in the Ohtani sweepstakes, despite Ohtani being unable to pitch during the 2024 season because of a UCL tear he suffered last August.

Without Marcus Stroman in the lineup, the Cubs are currently dependent on Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Kyle Hendricks, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks. Should they bring in Yamamoto, they will instantly boost their rotation.

The Cubs’ interest in Yamamoto, as is with any other free agent, is likely dependent on whether or not they land Ohtani. That contract will call for well north of $500 million, and maybe even up to $600 million. It will certainly finish as the highest in MLB history.

What about Yamamoto?

“The price for Yamamoto, officials who plan on pursuing the pitcher told ESPN, seems to be growing by the day. Multiple executives said the floor will be $200 million. Others said the cost of his contract could be in excess of $250 million,” Passan reported.

The likelihood of the Cubs signing both Japanese stars seems wildly unlikely. But, if another team lands Ohtani, it would make sense for the Cubs to strongly pursue Yamamoto.

On the subject of Ohtani, Passan also reported the Cubs are firmly in the running for the two-time AL MVP.

“The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, who were among the initial group of suitors, have turned their attention to other players, sources said,” Passan said. “Among those confirmed by sources to be still in the bidding: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Angels. The San Francisco Giants have long had a fondness for Ohtani, though where they stand in these sweepstakes is unknown.”

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The Atlanta Braves opted to trade him, along with four other players, to the White Sox in exchange for left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer. Lopez found out about the life-altering trade in a very intimate environment.

“We were at rehearsal dinner [for his wedding],” Lopez told Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Talk podcast. “We were in Palm Springs. We haven’t eaten yet, we’re taking pictures on a really nice back patio. I think someone was holding my phone, taking pictures of me and my family. It was one of my friends back home and he turned it and said ‘You should probably answer this’ and on the top of my phone was ‘Alex Anthopoulos’ the GM of the Braves.

“I kinda knew tender day was coming. We had been talking with the Braves about whether we were gonna get tendered or whether we were gonna get traded. Those two directions are good. You never want to hear non-tender, obviously.”

That’s when Anthopoulus informed Lopez he would be going to his hometown team, the Chicago White Sox.

What did Lopez do with the news?

“At that time I’m like ‘Well, I’m getting married tomorrow.’ But also I’m pumped because I get to go play in front of my hometown friends. I remember just nonchalantly walking back to the dinner table and being like ‘Yeah, I got traded, but here we go!'” Lopez said.

And the next day, Lopez got married to his longtime girlfriend, Sydney. That’s a rollercoaster 24 hours.

He wouldn’t be heading to the White Sox alone, however. The White Sox also acquired four of Lopez’s teammates from the Braves, including Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster, Riley Gowens and Braden Shewmake.

Lopez will join a newly minted middle infield including Paul DeJong at shortstop. The White Sox signed DeJong to a one-year deal on Nov. 21, cementing their next shortstop after declining Tim Anderson’s club option for the 2024 season.

As aforementioned, Lopez is a Bolingbrook native. He attended Naperville Central High School before attending Creighton University to play college baseball. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round in the 2016 MLB draft.

Over his career, Lopez is hitting .249 with a .630 OPS. He’s a defensive stud, saving eight defensive runs over his career at second base. He will succeed Elvis Andrus as the team’s next second baseman.

For Lopez, it’s a childhood dream come true.

“I always had a dream of playing in Chicago. Just coming back and playing. But just to have it be like this and go this way … it was kind of a surreal moment,” Lopez said.

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Several reports have dropped surrounding the status of teams who are in or out on the two-way superstar. Jon Heyman said on a live stream with Bleacher Report on Wednesday the Chicago Cubs are firmly in the running.

“Cubs are in there. It would be a great fit,” Heyman said.

Heyman said the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites at this time. He also said the San Francisco Giants are “in there hot.” The Toronto Blue Jays have whispered interest, according to Heyman, too.

One significant nugget Heyman dropped in the livestream is the timing of the deal. Heyman said Ohtani’s free agency could end as quickly as next week at the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville from Dec. 3-6.

“I’m thinking he may sign at the Winter Meetings, which would be very, very exciting,” Heyman said. “That seems to be the prevailing opinion at this point. No guarantee.”

Heyman said he expects Ohtani to get “around $500 million.” Though, he hasn’t shied away from predicting Ohtani will haul in $600 million on his next contract.

Ohtani is arguably baseball’s hottest commodity in its history. The Japanese star hits and pitches at an elite level, guaranteeing him a unique contract for executing and nearly perfecting both sides of the ball. Ohtani just won his second AL MVP award this past season.

However, due to a UCL tear, Ohtani will not be able to pitch for the 2024 season. He will, however, be fully prepared to hit for whichever team lands him this offseason.

Will that team be the Cubs? Stay tuned, as his decision could be coming soon.

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Here’s what the lefty reliever had to say after seven seasons in Chicago:

“10 years ago, the Chicago White Sox gave me a chance. Debuting in the Crosstown Cup on July 27, 2017, was a lifelong dream come true, and I’ve loved the ride ever since. From Montana to Chicago and everywhere in between, I enjoyed every stop and all the people along the way. To the fans who cheered, booed, and cared so deeply, to my teammates, coaches, staff, and friends, thank you for letting a kid live out his dream every single day.

“Through every high and low, Chicago has been more than a city—it’s been a home. I am forever grateful for every memory and excited for Chapter 2 in Atlanta.”

Bummer, 30, was traded to the Braves for five players in return.

For Bummer, the White Sox received pitchers Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster and Riley Gowens, plus infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake. The trade marked Chris Getz’s first exchange as the White Sox general manager.

The White Sox drafted Bummer in the 19th round of the 2014 MLB entry draft. As he mentioned in his post, he debuted with the Sox in 2017.

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Tigers spokesman Chad Crunk said Tuesday that Hernández died in Florida and the team confirmed Hernández’s death with his family. No cause was announced.

The left-handed Hernández had a 13-year career but is mostly known for his role as the closer on one of the most dominant teams in the past 40 years. The 1984 Tigers, led by Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker and Jack Morris, opened 35-5 and cruised to the AL East title with a 104-58 mark before sweeping Kansas City in the AL Championship Series and beating San Diego in a five-game World Series.

Hernández had a 9-3 record and 32 saves in 33 chances in 1984, with a 1.92 ERA over 80 games and 140 1/3 innings. He is among just 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same year, edging Kansas City’s Dan Quisenberry for Cy Young in 1984 and Minnesota’s Kent Hrbek for MVP.

Hernández would go on to have an excellent postseason and got the final out of the clinching Game 5, coaxing a short fly ball to left field from Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, setting off a celebration. The Tigers haven’t won a World Series since.

“Willie Hernández was a great teammate, and I’m terribly sorry to hear the news of his passing,” former Tigers star Alan Trammell said in a statement. “I will never forget our team’s celebration together on the mound after he recorded the final out of the 1984 World Series. He will always be remembered as a World Series champion. My thoughts and prayers are with this family.”

Guillermo Hernández was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 14, 1954. His ascent to baseball stardom couldn’t have been predicted during 6 1/2 solid but unspectacular seasons with the Chicago Cubs that began in 1977. He was traded to Philadelphia during the 1983 season and pitched four scoreless innings in that year’s World Series as the Phillies lost to Baltimore.

Detroit acquired Hernández and Dave Bergman from the Phillies for Glenn Wilson and John Wockenfuss a few weeks before the 1984 season. Hernandez would go on to make three straight All-Star teams from 1984-86.

Hernández finished with a 70-63 record and a 3.38 ERA.

After a decline in performance led to fan booing, Hernández poured ice water from a bucket over Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom in March 1988 while the reporter was speaking with Tigers teammate Frank Tanana. The following month, Hernández asked the team to have the public address announcer refer to him as Guillermo, and Hernández went by that for the rest of his career.

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The contract is a one-year deal, according to a report from Bob Nightengale. DeJong will undergo a physical on Monday to finish the deal.

DeJong, 29, played for three different teams last season: the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants. He hit .207 from the plate with a .612 OPS last season.

He has a solid glove at shortstop. He has 41 defensive runs saved over his career. And while his glove has declined in recent seasons, it’s still reputable in the middle infield.

Earlier this offseason, the White Sox declined Tim Anderson’s club option, making him a free agent. This signing seemingly shuts the door on a potential return for Anderson on a different contract. This move is likely aimed to keep the seat warm for Colson Montgomery — the White Sox’ expected future shortstop currently stopped in Triple-A.

The signing marks Getz’s first significant splash in free agency. Earlier this offseason, he traded Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves for a whopping five players, including Nicky Lopez, who seems likely to be DeJong’s partner in the middle infield.

DeJong is an Illinois native. Although born in Orlando, Florida, he went to high school in Antioch and attended Illinois State University, too. He played the first six seasons of his professional career with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded at last season’s deadline.

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He traded left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer for a whopping five players. The Atlanta Braves sent the White Sox Illinois natives Nicky Lopez and Riley Gowens, along with Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster and Braden Shewmake for Bummer.

Where were you when you heard about the late-night trade?

Here’s how some White Sox fans found out about the trade:

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Nicky Lopez, 28, was born and raised in Naperville, Ill., and attended Naperville Central High School. He attended Creighton University, the school the Kansas City Royals drafted him out of in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB entry draft.

He debuted with the Royals in 2019. There, he played 4.5 seasons and 519 games. He hit .248 from the plate with five home runs and 119 RBIs.

This past July, he was traded to the Braves.

Riley Gowens, 24, was born in Libertyville, Ill. He remained in Illinois through college, attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Braves drafted him in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB entry draft. He’s pitched predominantly in the Braves’ minor league system.

Along with the two Illinois natives, the White Sox also acquired Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster and Braden Shewmake for Bummer. The trade marks Getz’s first as the general manager of the White Sox.

“I think this is a foundational move for us and look forward to adding to what we just acquired,” Getz said following the day of the trade.

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Bummer, 30, has been rumored on the trade block dating back to the previous trade deadline. He was drafted by the White Sox in the 19th round in the 2014 draft. He’s spent the past seven seasons on the Sox.

Nicky Lopez is an Illinois product, who grew up in Naperville. Lopez, 29, is hitting a career .249/.312/.319. He played with the Kansas City Royals when Pedro Grifol was there as the bench coach. He played the last half-season with the Braves.

Mike Soroka, has played on the Braves his entire career. Soroka, 25, is a one-time All-Star. He did not play over the last two seasons prior to 2023 due to injury. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019.

Shewmake is a career .250/.309/.407 (331-1,323) hitter with 38 home runs, 174 RBI and 200 runs scored in 346 minor leagues in the Atlanta system. Shewmake is primarily a minor-league player. He was the former No. 21 overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft.

Gowens, 24, has gone between the Rookie and Single-A systems for the Braves.

Shuster, 25, has gone between the Braves and their Triple-A roster. He went 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA (34 ER/52.2 IP) and 30 strikeouts in 11 starts with the Braves and 5-6 with a 5.58 ERA (44 ER/79.0 IP) and 45 strikeouts in 16 starts with the Stripers.

Chris Getz strikes with his first trade as the White Sox general manager. He made his first major decisions as the leader recently, declining both Tim Anderson and Liam Hendriks’ club options.

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According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, MLB’s competition committee is “weighing a proposal that would reduce the pitch clock with runners on base from 20 seconds to 18 next season.” The 15-second pitch clock without runners on base would remain the same.

The proposal is in response to a gradual seven-minute increase in the average time of game last season as players adjusted to the new pitch clock rules.

Passan also reported that the committee is considering a proposal to reduce mound visits from five per game to four.

The competition committee is an 11-person panel comprised of six members representing teams, four players and one umpire.

Passan noted that players have “voiced concerns regarding the reduction of the clock,” citing a slew of pitching injuries throughout the 2023 season. However, MLB has pushed back on that concern

The average time of game in April of last season was 2:37 but increased to 2:44 in September.

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Eder, 24, was acquired by the White Sox from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infielder Jake Burger at the 2023 trade deadline on Aug. 1. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound southpaw is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 5 prospect in the White Sox system and the No. 8 LH pitching prospect in all of baseball. He has gone 5-11 with a 3.80 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 29 starts over two minor seasons. He missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Mena, 20, went 8-7 with a 4.85 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 27 combined starts for the Birmingham Barons and Charlotte Knights last season, ranking first in the White Sox organization in strikeouts, innings pitched and starts.

After signing with the White Sox as an international free agent in 2019, the San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic native has gone 11-17 with a 4.97 ERA and 344 strikeouts in 64 games over three minor league seasons. He is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the White sox organization by MLB.com

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MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday that the Chicago Cubs are “serious contenders” for free agent superstar Shohei Ohtani after speaking with several executives at the MLB General Managers Meetings, which are being held in Scottsdale, Arizona this week

“The Dodgers remain the heavy favorites,” Nightengale said. “The Chicago Cubs and Rangers are serious contenders, with several GMs saying that the Cubs may be the most aggressive team for his services.”

This report comes just days after the Cubs stunned the baseball world by hiring former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to a five-year contract.

The fight for Ohtani will be one for the history books, with the two-way phenom — and 2023 AL MVP candidate — expected to earn the largest contract in MLB history this offseason.

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Earlier this offseason, the White Sox relieved third base coach Daryl Boston and hitting coach Jose Castro of their respective duties. They also demoted bullpen coach Curt Hassler and assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson.

Here are three coaches the White Sox have either reportedly hired or are strongly tied to the name.

Marcus Thames

The White Sox have reportedly hired Marcus Thames to become their new hitting coach, according to a report from Robert Murray.

Thames, 46, played in the major leagues for 10 seasons between the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He slashed .246/.309/.485 over his career with 115 career home runs and 301 RBIs.

In 2013, Thames started his coaching career with the Yankees’ farm system, becoming the hitting coach at every single level at some point. In 2015, Thames became the hitting coach for the major league ball club.

He stayed with the Yankees for five seasons until 2021, when he moved to Miami to become the Marlins’ hitting coach. Thames spent the 2023 season as the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels.

Grady Sizemore

The former three-time All-Star, Grady Sizemore, is expected to join the White Sox as the team’s outfield and baserunning coach, according to Bruce Levine.

Sizemore, 41, played eight seasons with the then-Cleveland Indians. He was a regular adversary of the White Sox and a good one at that. He earned MVP votes for three straight seasons, along with two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award.

In 2017, directly after his playing career, Sizemore joined Cleveland as an advisor to their player development department. He hasn’t earned any other experience since then.

Drew Butera

Drew Butera is a “strong candidate” to join the White Sox’ coaching staff, according to Robert Murray. The position Butera could earn is so far unspecified.

Butera, 40, played 12 seasons in the major leagues with several clubs. He played predominantly with the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers. Butera played in Kansas City while Grifol was the team’s bench coach.

Since igniting his coaching career, Butera’s first coaching stint began in 2022 as the Los Angeles bullpen catcher/coach.

The White Sox made some personnel additions this offseason, too.

They hired Josh Barfield as the team’s new Assistant General Manager, Brian Bannister as the Director of Pitching and Gene Watson as the Director of Player Personnel.

Ethan Katz — the team’s pitching coach — will retain his role and return for his fourth season with the White Sox.

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Wait, what? Didn’t the World Series end on Wednesday?

That’s correct. But Nov. 2 marks the day players without a contract officially become free agents. Not so fast, they can’t sign with new teams just yet. Let’s go over some key dates for the MLB offseason.

Nov. 2: Players with 6+ years of service time without contracts are officially free agents. Eligible players must wait five days before signing with a new team. At this time, they’re only allowed to speak with their previous team about a new contract.

Nov. 5: Gold Glove winners are announced on a live ESPN broadcast at 6:30 p.m. CT. Luis Robert Jr.? Ian Happ? Dansby Swanson? Stay tuned.

Nov. 6: This is a big day. It includes several deadlines and beginnings for the MLB offseason. Free agency officially opens up. This day marks the deadline for teams to tender eligible free agents to a qualifying offer. Contract option decisions are also due on this date.

For the White Sox, that means the futures of Tim Anderson (club), Liam Hendriks (club) and Mike Clevinger (mutual) must be decided. For the Cubs, that’s Marcus Stroman (player), Kyle Hendricks (club), Yan Gomes (club), Brad Boxberger (mutual) and Cody Bellinger (mutual).

Nov. 7-9: These days mark the GM meetings in Scottsdale.

Nov. 14-16: Owners meetings happen in Arlington, Tex. through these dates.

Nov. 17: This is the deadline for teams to submit their offers for their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible contracts for the 2024 season. Contracts need not be signed on this day, just offers.

Dec. 3: Winter meetings in Nashville. Watch out. This is a crazy four-day period. A bunch of free-agent signings, trades and rumors will unfold.

Dec. 5: The draft lottery will be held live on MLB Network. As it stands, the White Sox have the fourth-best odds at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft (14.7%). The Cubs have a 0.4% chance.

Dec. 6: Rule 5 draft. Players selected from other teams during the Rule 5 draft must stay on their new team all season in 2024; otherwise, they are offered back to their native team.

Jan. 12: Arbitration-eligible players and teams will submit their salary figures for 2024. A majority of contracts will be agreed to leading up to this deadline to avoid arbitration.

Jan. 29- Feb. 16: Arbitration hearings will take place during this time.

Mid-February: Players will start reporting for Spring Training. Each team sets its reporting dates for pitchers and catchers, then position players.

And with that, here are the free agents for the White Sox, not including those with an option mentioned previously:

• Yasmani Grandal
• Elvis Andrus
• Alex Colome
• Bryan Shaw
• Jose Urena
• Billy Hamilton
• Tyler Naquin

Here are the 2024 free agents for the Cubs, excluding those with options:

• Jeimer Candelario
• Michael Fulmer
• Edwin Rios
• Shane Greene

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Janish will take over Getz’s former post as the leader of the organization’s farm system. The White Sox promoted Getz to general manager in August 2023.

Janish, 41, played in the major leagues from 2008-17 between the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles. He was drafted in the 2004 MLB draft in the fifth round out of Rice. He made his debut four years later with the Reds.

The White Sox have made a flurry of hires to their front office this offseason. Along with Janish, they named Josh Barfield the team’s assistant general manager, Brian Bannister as the director of pitching and Gene Watson as the director of player personnel.

“We are very excited to add paul to our baseball operations team as director of player development,” Getz said in a statement. “With 13 years in professional baseball, including nine in the major leagues, and another six years at Rice University where he served as associate head coach, Paul brings a wealth of experience to our organization. He has lived every step of the development ladder, from being a National Champion player at Rice, to being drafted, reaching the majors and then coaching successfully at a high-level program like Rice. We are pleased to heave him take the next step in his career with the White Sox and welcome him into the organization to lead our development system.”

Check back to this story for more updates.

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Check out the brutal blunder that opened up the floodgates for the Rangers.

In retrospect, Thomas is probably saving just one run from scoring if he fields that ball properly. Instead of being down two runs, the Diamondbacks went down by three runs in the ninth inning.

The Rangers went on to make the score 5-0 from, guess who, Marcus Semien. A two-run home run patched up Thomas’ error in the ninth, as the Rangers extended the lead even further. They walked away from the game World Series champions, defeating the Diamondbacks in five games.

Thomas, 23, was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the second round of the 2018 MLB draft. Arizona selected Thomas after his senior year at Mount Carmel High School in Chicago. He played a little over three seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 2022.

In the World Series, Thomas hit .235 with a .529 OPS at the plate. He had four hits and scored two runs against the Rangers.

Thomas’ father, Allen, was the director of strength and conditioning for the White Sox for 28 years. The organization parted ways with Allen in 2021. At Game 7 of the NLCS, he wore his 2005 World Series ring from the White Sox.

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This isn’t the case for Dan Plesac, though. The current MLB Network analyst still believes in what the White Sox have at 35th and Shields, and he joined NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien on the latest “White Sox Talk Podcast” to explain why the White Sox should have the rest of the league on notice.

“What do I think about 2024? I don’t know. But I do know this. There’s too much talent still left on that team for them to be a non-contender in the easiest division in baseball,” Plesac said. “I don’t think they have to do a major overhaul because it’s not the AL or the NL East. They’re not chasing the Braves or the Phillies or the Mets or the Yankees or the Blue Jays or the Orioles. It’s a division, right now, with two teams that have money and basically can try to win — that would be the White Sox and the Minnesota Twins.”

This is another sentiment White Sox fans are sick of hearing. They never wanted to be the kings of the American League Central. They wanted to be the kings of Major League Baseball — a team that could and would compete with the Braves and the Phillies and the Mets and the Yankees and the Blue Jays and the Orioles.

Plesac, a life-long White Sox fan himself, knows this. So before you roll your eyes at another pundit giving the same old spiel, you should know that Plesac has a point worth believing. One that’s tangibly unfolding before our eyes as we watch the Texas Rangers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series.

“It can be done,” Plesac said. “The Arizona Diamondbacks are living proof. So are the Rangers. Two years ago, these teams lost over 100 games.

“You know what you have to do in the Central? Win 85 games. Win 85 games, and you’re in it.”

He was clear that the White Sox will need to spend money in order to achieve what those two teams in the World Series managed to pull off this season. This doesn’t mean they have to completely break the bank, though. They just have to improve enough to make the postseason.

“If these two teams playing right now are living proof, just get in,” he said.

Plesac then made the point that while Yoán Moncada may never be the player the White Sox need him to be, there are certain guys, like Dylan Cease, who will undoubtedly be better in 2024.

“That’s a sleeping giant,” Plesac said of the 2024 White Sox. “And I know it’s so easy to take shots at a team and an organization when things are down.

“… The Diamondbacks were a morgue two years ago. So it can happen.”

You can listen to latest episode of the “White Sox Talk Podcast” here.

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“I love baseball and I want to put a winning product on the field,” Jenks said in a statement. “I believe I can do that and my track record has shown that I can do that.”

Jenks was the pitching coach for the Princeton WhistlePigs of the Appalachian League during the 2023 season. Now, he’s moving to the South Side in hopes of bringing another championship back to Chicago baseball.

During his playing career, he earned two All-Star nods from his seven-year career. He played six seasons on the South Side, most notably as the team’s ninth-inning hero.

He played in all four games of the White Sox’ 2005 World Series. He pitched five innings, recording two saves. He allowed three hits, two runs and two walks in the World Series while striking out seven batters.

Now, he turns to a new challenge.

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The Houston Astros skipper is retiring after 26 seasons as an MLB manager, he told USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale. The Astros held a press conference Thursday at Minute Maid Park in which Baker officially announced his departure from the game and discussed what might be next for him.

“I would first like to say thank you to [Astros owner] Jim Crane and family for giving me this opportunity over the last four years,” Baker said. “It has been a tremendous honor to be the leader of this ballclub. Thank you to the fans for their unwavering passion. The amount of love I’ve received in my time in Houston has been unmatched.

“Thank you to all my players and coaches for their many sacrifices on our multiple pursuits to a World Series title. You all gave me all you had every day, and that’s all I can ever ask for. Lastly, I want to say thank you to all my friends and family. I have immense gratitude for all of the love and support you have shown me throughout the years, and I can’t say thank you enough. This isn’t a goodbye, it’s simply a ‘see you later.'”

Baker’s retirement comes after an impressive four-year run in Houston where he helped the franchise reclaim the World Series title in the wake of its sign-stealing scandal. Houston reached the ALCS in each season under Baker and made consecutive World Series from 2021-22, winning it all last season. They looked on their way to a third straight World Series trip this season before squandering a 3-2 ALCS lead against the Texas Rangers.

Along with the Astros, Baker managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals over his career. A three-time Manager of the Year, Baker’s teams combined to reach the playoffs 13 times, win three pennants and capture one World Series title. He’s the only manager to ever lead five different franchises to the postseason.

When Baker guided Houston to a championship in 2022, he became the oldest manager/head coach to win a title across the four major professional sports at 73 years and 143 days old.

Baker ranks seventh all time with 2,183 career wins as a manager, boasting a .540 winning percentage, while his 57 postseason victories rank fourth. He is one just 11 managers with 2,000 career wins and was the first Black manager to reach the milestone. Of those other 10 managers with 2,000 wins, nine of them are in the Hall of Fame, with current Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy being the only one who isn’t.

Baker, who was a two-time All-Star outfielder during his 19-year playing career, is also one of just seven since 1969 who have won a World Series both as a player and as a manager. He was part of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 1981 championship team.

Wise, 47, was named the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021. He’s been with the staff since 2020.

The White Sox reassigned their bullpen coach, Curt Hassler, to a different role in the organization. The organization also hired Brian Bannister to become the director of pitching this offseason. Ethan Katz remains the pitching coach since he was hired in 2021.

Wise was accredited with the Angels’ top ten ERA in 2022. The staff regressed in 2023, finishing with a 4.64 ERA, which ranked 24th in MLB. Their 1.46 WHIP ranked 26th in MLB, too.

The Angels did not pick up manager Phil Nevins’ contract this offseason. Because of that, the organization allowed his coaching staff to pursue other opportunities, according to the report.

The White finished with a 26th-ranked 4.88 ERA last season. They traded several key arms at the trade deadline last season, including Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly and Keynan Middleton.

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The third-year slugger was traded to the Miami Marlins just hours before the deadline in an unexpected move by the Chicago White Sox front office on Aug. 1.

Thrust into a turbulent National League Wild Card race, there was little time for proper farewells or an earnest reflection on his six-and-a-half years with the organization that drafted him.

This week, Jake Burger posted a 10-minute video to social media expressing gratitude for the this past season and the journey that led him to the major leagues.

“I didn’t post [on social media] when I first got traded,” Burger said. “I didn’t post a thank you to Chicago, to the organization or to the fans because, you know, I was heading into Miami and we were in a wild card race, and I didn’t want to think too much about anything else. So this is my thank you to all the Chicago fans that stuck with me. It was my home for parts of the last three seasons, and it was my only home organizationally until I got traded. I spent six-and-a-half years in the organization, so to all the people that made that possible, I just want to say thank you.

“It was obviously a crazy journey through the organization. Getting drafted in the first round, and then tearing my Achilles the next spring training and having three seasons of not played baseball. And the fans stuck with me, the front office stuck with me. And I just want to thank you all for that. And even my friends that are still in Chicago, thank you for being you, and I’m so honored to have gotten to meet you guys, play with you guys and learn the game with you guys.”

Burger has been vocal about how much the support from White Sox fans and the organization meant to him over his difficult journey to the majors. It’s no surprise he wanted to let the dust settle and give himself time to craft a thoughtful statement about his time in Chicago.

In the video, Burger referenced his brutal recovery from two catastrophic leg injuries that caused the slugger to miss two full years of competitive minor league play.

Burger made his White Sox debut on July 2, 2021 against the Detroit Tigers, and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. After the game, Burger tearfully admitted that he had considered quitting baseball several times over the course of his lengthy rehabilitation and explained that the reason he didn’t was because his parents said he would regret it. Burger said, “they were right.”

In 53 games with the Marlins last season, Burger smacked nine home runs, 13 doubles and drove in 28 runs with a .303/.355/.505 slash line.

Burger helped Miami reach post season, but the team ultimately fell short in the Wild Card Series in a two-game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies.

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His father, Allen Thomas, was previously the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the White Sox for 28 years before the team relieved him of his duties after the 2021 season.

At his son’s game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Thomas brought his 2005 White Sox World Series ring for good luck.

Alek, 23, is hitting .212 this postseason with seven hits, four of which are home runs. This season, he’s hit nine home runs and 39 RBIs in 125 games.

He’s a phenomenal defensive outfielder, too. Over two seasons with the Diamondbacks in the major leagues, he’s recorded 11 defensive runs saved in center field.

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Taking place on Nov. 24-25 at Dubai International Stadium, Baseball United’s event features plenty of former MLB talent, headlined by All-Stars Robinson Cano and Bartolo Colon.

Among the other notable names picked in the first-ever Baseball United draft include Pablo Sandoval, Andrelton Simmons, Jair Jurrjens and Alejandro De Aza.

Karan Patel, a right-handed pitcher and former Chicago White Sox prospect, was selected as the draft’s first overall pick.

Founded with a goal of bringing baseball to one of the world’s largest cricket fanbases, multiple Baseball Hall of Famers are behind the inception of Baseball United.

Barry Larkin, Mariano Rivera, Adrian Beltre and Felix Hernandez are among the organization’s co-owners, bringing a group rich with both success and experience on the diamond.

The league features four teams, with two of them, the Dubai Wolves and the Abu Dhabi representing cities in the U.A.E.

The other two teams, the Cobras and the Monarchs, represent Mumbai, India and Karachi, Pakistan respectively.

One of them he poached was Josh Barfield, the South Side’s new assistant general manager. Barfield was previously the farm director of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a place he called “family” for the last nine years.

What attracted him to the job with the White Sox?

“It had to be the right situation to leave,” Barfield told NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Talk podcast. “The more I got to talk with Chris, the more I dug into it, there’s so much possibility here. That’s what intrigued me. There’s a lot of talent on the roster. You have an owner who cares about the team. I think there were a lot of things that were attractive about the position.”

It wasn’t just the potential Barfield held an affinity for on the South Side. He claims he received a supernatural sign that gave him a confirmation he should take the job in Chicago.

What pushed him over the edge?

“My wife, she’s from Arizona, like I said, we had a very good situation here for us and our family,” Barfield said. “When the opportunity came, we started discussing it and things just started lining up. It was almost meant to be. But it was still a tough decision.

“I had just gotten off the phone with Chris, he had made the offer. We were driving home from picking up my daughter and we stop at the light. We’re about a half mile or so from our house. And she looks up and she says ‘Do you see that?’ And I was like ‘Yeah, I do.’ She’s like ‘That’s gotta be a sign.’ I’m like ‘I don’t know what could be a clearer sign.’

“It was an Audi sitting in front of us at the light with Arizona plates but it had ‘Sox 29.’ Twenty-nine was the only number I wore in the big leagues and my dad wore in the big leagues. I think that’s what pushed us over the edge.”

As he said, I don’t know what could be a clearer sign. A Sox plate in Arizona? With his and his dad’s exact number from his playing days? Talk about a supernatural act.

Barfield said the Diamondbacks came back with another offer. But the Diamondbacks quietly encouraged Barfield to take the job in Chicago, knowing it was an excellent opportunity to advance his career and take on a new challenge.

He graciously accepted Getz’s offer to become the new assistant general manager, having the license plate in his mind to cement his decision. Nonetheless, he earned the position from the incredible work he accomplished in Arizona.

Since Barfield took over as the director, the Diamondbacks have had a top-10 farm system in every season since 2019. They have the 10th-best system this season, sixth in 2022, fourth in 2021, seventh in 2020 and fifth in 2019. The Diamondbacks are currently in the NLCS playoffs.

He had plenty of positive notes for the White Sox’ current farm system. He tipped his cap to them for the prospects they received at the previous MLB trade deadline. Barfield has plenty of optimism for Colson Montgomery and Bryan Ramos, too.

He knows the road in front of him is long. But he has faith the White Sox can make a change.

“There’s work to be done, for sure. But I think it’s very possible to turn this thing around.”

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Chris Getz is officially the general manager and there’s a new structure in place. The previous structure predicated on the general manager and Vice President working in tandem is over. But could they bring in someone to oversee Getz?

That wasn’t the original plan, or it doesn’t seem like it, at least. But Kim Ng — the now former general manager of the Miami Marlins — is a free agent on the executive market. She left the team after three seasons.

Is there a scenario where she could enter the White Sox’ front office?

“I think she’ll have options,” NY Post’s Jon Heyman said on 670 the Score with Mully & Haugh. “It would be a little weird, I know she previously worked for the White Sox, to bring her in as Getz’s boss. I don’t think he’s anticipating that. Part of the problem with the White Sox was they had two bosses with Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams. It was kind of like a Steinbrener model and I think that’s difficult.”

To Heyman’s point, the White Sox are attempting to stave off placing too many voices in the front office. Their previous structure fumbled into dysfunction and confusion of power. In turn, the White Sox relieved Hahn and Williams of their respective duties and promoted Getz to be the sole leader of the front office.

Getz then assembled a group of executives to help assist his leadership. He hired assistant general manager Josh Barnfield and Gene Watson, the newly named director of player personnel. Getz has already established his place, shuffling around the coaching staff.

Would the White Sox shuffle around the front office to bring in Ng?

For starters, Ng jumpstarted her MLB career with the White Sox. She started as an intern in 1990 and was hired full time in 1991 after completing data analysis on the Rule 5 draft. She eventually worked her way up to assistant director of baseball operations. She left after 1996.

Over the past three seasons, she managed the Marlins, who recently made their first playoff berth (not counting the shortended 2020 season) since they won the World Series in 2003. Ng brought the Marlins, who finished with the seventh-worst payroll, to a playoff berth and an 84-78 regular season record.

Ng will have options after bringing a virtually absent team into a prominent spotlight. The Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have vacancies for general manager positions in their respective front offices. Ng should be a top candidate around the league.

It would take maneuvering the White Sox front office around to establish Ng as a top voice at the top. Would the White Sox be willing to do that a few months into Getz’s tenure as “the guy”?

Remember, Getz is new to the position. He recently served as the director of scouting for the team’s farm system, as well as the assistant general manager to Hahn. No offense to Getz, but Ng’s résumé is extremely impressive, especially after single-handedly developing the Marlins into a playoff team in just a few seasons.

It’s a long shot, considering the leg work it would take to engage in that whole rigamarole. But nonetheless, it’s tough to discount Ng’s value after a short, yet successful, stint with the Marlins.

“Maybe he will choose Kim Ng to be the person,” Heyman said. “That would work better than having co-bosses. I’m not sure that’s a likely scenario. It’s certainly interesting. Certainly, something to think about.”

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Boston, who rolled over from the previous coaching staff into Pedro Grifol’s, has been with the White Sox for 26 years. In 2013, then-manager Robin Ventura made him the team’s first base coach, a post he kept for 11 years.

Castro, 65, spent just one season with the White Sox. Before this season, he spent the last eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves as the team’s assistant hitting coach.

As for the reassignments, here are their backgrounds.

Johnson, 39, was named the hitting coach for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights before the 2021 season. In November of 2022, he made his way up to the major league as the Sox’ assistant hitting coach.

Hassler has been with the White Sox for over 30 years. He started with the club in 1992 as a pitching coach for the organization’s Rookie and Single-A classes. In 2017, he made his first appearance — as a coach — in the big leagues under Rick Renteria. He’s been the team’s bullpen/assistant pitching coach since then.

The White Sox made some personnel additions this offseason, too. Chris Getz

They hired Josh Barfield as the team’s new Assistant General Manager, Brian Bannister as the Director of Pitching and Gene Watson as the Director of Player Personnel.

Ethan Katz — the team’s pitching coach — will retain his role and return for his fourth season with the White Sox.

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With a lengthy offseason ahead, Levine suggested they might start by acquiring two players with strong connections to the team.

“It might start by making an offer for veteran Royals catcher Salvador Perez on the trade market and with a pursuit of second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield in free agency. The White Sox have discussed both of those possibilities at length, sources said,” Levine wrote.

The Royals are open to parting ways with Perez via trade, according to the report. Merrifield has a mutual option for the 2024 season, meaning he could become a free agent as soon as this winter.

Catcher and second base are two positions the White Sox need upgrades.

Yasmani Grandal mentioned toward the end of the season he plans to “test the market” of free agency ahead of his contract expiration. The team tried Korey Lee behind the plate by the season’s end, but he struggled at the plate, hitting .077.

For the past two seasons, the White Sox have relied on the venerable Elvis Andrus at second base. They’ve filled the gaps with Lenyn Sosa and Romy Gonzalez, both of whom the White Sox have expressed their satisfaction with. But Merrifield would be a stronger fix in the middle infield, not considering his age (34).

As aforementioned, both of the players’ ties to the Sox are strong. Pedro Grifol was a coach with the Royals from 2013-22. Newly promoted general manager Chris Getz worked in the Royals’ front office from 2014-16. Merrifield and Perez have been in Kansas City since 2016 and 2013, respectively.

Perez was eager to join NBC Sports Chicago’s White Sox Talk podcast immediately when the White Sox announced they had hired Grifol to become their new manager.

“One hundred percent he was ready to be a manager the last three or four years,” Perez said about Grifol last March. “I hope he’s going to be (a manager) in the big leagues for twenty years …  I think he’s going to be one of the best managers in the game.

“Everybody knows that I love him like my dad. I seriously thank god that he put Pedro in my life. I’ve got five Gold Gloves. At least four I won because of him.”

Last season, Perez hit .255 with a .714 OPS. He hit 23 home runs and knocked in 80 RBIs in 140 games. Merrifield hit .272 from the plate with a .700 OPS. He hit 11 baseballs out of the park and drove in 67 runs.

Perez has three more seasons left on his contract. He’s slated to make $20 million next season. Merrifield’s mutual option is worth $18 million for next season.

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The rare collector’s item will be available exclusively on The Rolling Stones’ website. Fans have the option to choose a vinyl record with a custom design for all 30 MLB teams. You can preorder the vinyl album now, or wait until the album’s release to purchase the item on their website.

Here are the designs for the White Sox and Cubs’ custom Hackney Diamonds vinyl.

Here’s the trailer video for the partnership.

The Rolling Stones have a long history with MLB. In 1989, the Stones performed half of their tour dates for the “Steel Wheels Tour” at MLB stadiums.

Those stadiums included Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium, Toronto’s CNE Stadium and SkyDome, Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, RFK Stadium in Washington DC, Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, New York’s Shea Stadium, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Houston Astrodome, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis and Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

In 1997, the Stones played at Dodger Stadium and in 2005, they played at Fenway Park in Boston.

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According to the Chicago Sun-Times, hitting coach Jose Castro and first base coach Daryl Boston will not return to the team next season. Assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson and assistant pitching coach Curt Hassler will be reassigned in some capacity, too, via the report.

Boston, who rolled over from the previous coaching staff into Pedro Grifol’s, has been with the White Sox for 26 years. In 2013, then manager Robin Ventura made him the team’s first base coach, a post he kept for 11 years.

Castro, 65, spent just one season with the White Sox. Before this season, he spent the last eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves as the team’s assistant hitting coach.

As for the reassignments, here are their backgrounds.

Johnson, 39, was named the hitting coach for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights before the 2021 season. In November of 2022, he made his way up to the major league as the Sox’ assistant hitting coach.

Hassler has been with the White Sox for over 30 years. He started with the club in 1992 as a pitching coach for the organization’s Rookie and Single-A classes. In 2017, he made his first appearance — as a coach — in the big leagues under Rick Renteria. He’s been the team’s bullpen/assistant pitching coach since then.

The White Sox made some personnel additions this offseason, too. Chris Getz

They hired Josh Barfield as the team’s new Assistant General Manager, Brian Bannister as the Director of Pitching and Gene Watson as the Director of Player Personnel.

Ethan Katz — the team’s pitching coach — will retain his role and return for his fourth season with the White Sox.

The Sox are expected to announce the staffing rearrangements this week, according to the Sun-Times’ report.

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Profar singled off Declan Cronin (0-1) to score automatic runner José Azocar to put the Padres ahead in the 11th.

Rich Hill (8-14) allowed an unearned run and two hits in two innings for the Padres (82-80), who were eliminated from playoff contention Friday after reaching the NLCS and going 89-73 last year.

Zach Remillard had three hits for the White Sox (61-101), who reached 100 losses Saturday for the fifth time and first since 2018 after going 81-81 last season.

Remillard singled off Hill to drive in automatic runner Elvis Andrus to tie it in the 10th. Gavin Sheets hit a single to shallow left before Yasmani Grandal grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Ha-Seong Kim gave the Padres the lead in the 10th on a sac fly off Deivi García after Brett Sullivan grounded out to first to advance automatic runner Eguy Rosario to third.

Starter Pedro Avila struck out seven and allowed three hits in five scoreless innings for San Diego.

José Ureña allowed four hits in six shutout innings for the White Sox, who lost 15 of 21, finishing with the fourth-worst record in the majors and in fourth place in the AL Central.

ONE MORE TIME

Juan Soto played 162 games for the first time in his career and is the sixth Padre to reach the mark. He led the majors for the third consecutive season in walks (132) and tied San Diego’s single-season record. Soto was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fourth.

LOOKING AHEAD

Manager Bob Melvin is 171-153 in two seasons with the Padres, who finished third in the NL West despite having baseball’s third-highest payroll and a 19-7 record in September.

“I’m under contract here next year, and that’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now,” Melvin said.

FINAL FIGURE

The White Sox drew 1,669,628 fans, down from 2,009,359 last season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

WHITE SOX: SS Tim Anderson, 3B Yoán Moncada and OFs Eloy Jiménez and Andrew Benintendi were out of the lineup. “Could they play? Yes. Do I want them to play? No,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “The guys that are not in the lineup today are guys that are battling through some injuries and guys that we need moving forward.”

UP NEXT

The Padres face the Dodgers in their first spring game Feb. 22.

The White Sox open the spring Feb. 23 at the Cubs.

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On Saturday, they were officially eliminated from the MLB playoffs by way of the Miami Marlins defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates, notching their 84th win of the season. The Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, but the maximum number of games they can with this season is 84 and the Marlins own the tiebreaker over the Cubs.

Here is what the MLB playoff picture looks like in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the first wild card spot. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Marlins each clinched the final two spots on Saturday over the closely chasing Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

The Cubs have been aiming to reach the playoffs since the start of this season.

They bolstered their roster in impressive fashion over the offseason. They brought in Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, Miles Mastrobuoni and Jameson Taillon, most notably. They also extended good soldiers Ian Happ and Nico Hoener to solidify part of their core.

Heading towards the trade deadline, the Cubs were poised to become sellers. The playoffs didn’t look to be in their future and the benefits of winning in the lowly NL Central didn’t seem worth the effort. They also owned two of the most valuable players at the time — Bellinger and Marcus Stroman — who would certainly reap the Cubs great benefits in a trade package.

However, shouts from the clubhouse — particularly, the aforementioned Swanson — pleaded with the front office not to sell. A late double-digit win streak leading up to the deadline helped convince the Cubs to reverse course and push for the playoffs.

They added Jeimer Candelario and Jose Cuas to help boost their infield and bullpen, respectively.

Unfortunately, the Cubs lost four games in a row to the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers heading into their last series. Coupled with a five-game skid against the Rockies and Diamondbacks before that losing streak put a damper on the Cubs’ chances of postseason contention.

The Cubs will go back to the drawing board with all eyes on Stroman and Bellinger, as their futures with the Cubs hanging in the balance.

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They become the fifth team in White Sox history to eclipse the mark.

The last 100-loss season for the White Sox came in 2018, two seasons before they would make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The other three times occurred in 1970, 1948 and 1932.

The most losses in White Sox franchise history is 106 from the aforementioned 1970 season.

It’s been a long road for the White Sox this season. Most have described it as the toughest year in a long while for the White Sox, underscored by 100 losses just before the White Sox turn the page on this season.

It started out with optimism behind a franchise-record five-year $75 million contract the Sox gave Andrew Benintendi to become the team’s everyday left fielder. They also signed Mike Clevinger to bolster the backend of their starting rotation.

The season also marked the new era of White Sox baseball under Pedro Grifol, the newly hired manager of the club. Previously, he served as the bench coach for the Kansas City Royals. He earned his first managerial position after 20+ years in baseball, wearing several hats in the major and minor leagues.

After an 81-81 season in 2022, the White Sox promised it would be different this time around.

Unfortunately, the same pitfalls returned to the 2023 White Sox. Built to be a home run-hitting team, the White Sox rank 20th in MLB for home runs this season. They own the second-worst offense in baseball, too.

Their defense told the same story. They’ve committed the fifth-most errors this season and they’ve saved -54 defensive runs on the season — the second-worst mark in baseball.

Their pitching staff didn’t offer much help either. You can peg some of the blame on poor defense, but the numbers are the numbers for the White Sox’ arms. They own the fifth-worst ERA in baseball as a staff.

The season took a dive near the trade deadline, as the White Sox underwent a significant sell-off. They traded Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Kendall Graveman, Reynaldo Lopez and Jake Burger.

From there, the White Sox’ focus has been on winning with who they have, while developing the prospects they earned from the trades they made at the deadline.

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The two teams will complete their three-game series on Thursday night. Atlanta has won the first two games in dramatic fashion, overcoming a six-run deficit on Tuesday and scoring twice to emerge victorious in 10 innings on Wednesday.

Atlanta (102-56) needs one win or one Baltimore loss to guarantee home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Braves have won 50 games at home for the second straight season.

“It’s big,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “We want to play as many games as we can here — it doesn’t matter who you play — and now we’ve secured that opportunity.”

Chicago (82-76) is two games behind Arizona for the second wild-card spot and is tied with Miami (82-76) for the final playoff position.

“Guys are laying it all out there,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “This is a really good team. Got to figure out a way to win baseball games.”

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. made history on Wednesday when he became the first major leaguer to steal 70 bases and hit 40 homers in a season. He drove in the tying run, stole second – his second steal of the game — and scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a single by Ozzie Albies.

“I’m super happy to have created the 70-40 club,” said Acuna, who began digging out the second-base bag seconds after stealing the record-setting base.

Snitker said, “That’s about as good as it gets. I thought it was great the way he picked the bag up. I loved that. We all loved that. He may be the only human that can break his own record.”

The Braves also hit a pair of home runs on Wednesday, giving them 303 and leaving them four away from matching the record of 307 hit by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.

The starting pitchers for Thursday’s game will be Chicago’s Marcus Stroman (10-8, 3.88 ERA) against rookie AJ Smith-Shawver (1-0, 4.57).

Stroman will make his fourth appearance and second start since he came off the injured list. He was sidelined from Aug. 2-Sept. 15 with right hip inflammation. In his last start on Saturday against Colorado, Stroman recorded a no-decision after allowing three runs on five hits in six innings.

“I felt like my mechanics just kind of came and went at times,” Stroman said. “But overall, I felt a little better than I thought I would feel.”

Stroman will make his eighth career start against the Braves. He is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA, including 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts in Atlanta. He has allowed three or fewer runs in all of his starts against the Braves. He has not faced them this year.

Smith-Shawver was recalled from Triple-A to make the start, his first in the major leagues since July 30. He has never faced the Cubs.

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Corbin Carroll hit a two-run double in a three-run third, giving the rookie 76 RBIs, and Tommy Pham had an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who were outhit 8-4.

Arizona (84-74) entered in the second of three NL wild card slots, one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 1 1/2 games ahead of Miami. The Diamondbacks were 50-34 on July 1 before a 7-25 slide.

Pfaadt (3-9) scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked none in 5 2/3 innings, and Jose Frias Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson and Paul Sewald completed the Diamondbacks’ 11th shutout this season. Sewald worked around Lenyn Sosa’s double in the ninth for his 34th save in 39 chances.

Pfaadt, a 24-year-old right-hander, rebounded after yielding five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 7-1 loss at the New York Yankees. It was his third scoreless outing of five or more innings; he pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Cubs on Sept. 15.

Trayce Thompson and Sosa each had two hits. White Sox (60-98) are trying to avoid what would be their first 100-loss season since 2018 and second since 1970. Chicago was blanked for the 13th time.

In his first start with the White Sox, Luis Patiño (0-1) allowed three runs. three hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander, acquired from Tampa Bay on Aug. 1, retired his first seven hitters, then allowed the next five to reach base.

After Jace Peterson looped the game’s first hit and Geraldo Perdomo walked, Carroll lined a double to right-center.

DAVIES CUT

RHP Zach Davies was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, who recalled rookie right-hander Justin Martinéz from Triple-A Reno.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: OF Lordes Gurriel, Jr. was a late scratch with left shoulder discomfort.

White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada was held out on a maintenance day. Lenyn Sosa played third.

UP NEXT

White Sox RHP Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.10) starts Thursday’s series finale. The Diamondbacks may go with a bullpen game.

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The $1 tickets are a product of the team’s Monday game being postponed due to a separate postponement the Diamondbacks experienced over last weekend while playing against the New York Yankees.

As a tribute to the fans, the White Sox announced they would be offering $1 tickets for Thursday’s game. They coupled the $1 tickets with free parking for the game, too.

For those curious, the weather is supposed to be excellent on Thursday, with highs in the upper-60s and partly-sunny skies.

All season ticket holders, suite holders and patio ticket holders were refunded their purchases and given free tickets to the game, according to the White Sox.

All other individuals who purchased single-game tickets for the originally-scheduled contest can get refunds via the services they used to secure those seats, and fans are encouraged to buy tickets through the discounted offer.

More information can be found on the White Sox website.

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According to the team, they’re nearly sold out.

“We have sold nearly all available seats for Thursday’s game, with the exception of a few single seats throughout the lower level. We made a limited number of standing-room-only tickets available, and those are nearly gone as well,” the team told Scott Merkin.

MORE: Here’s how you can score $1 White Sox tickets Monday

For those curious, the weather is supposed to be excellent on Thursday, with highs in the upper 60s and partly sunny skies.

All season ticket holders, suite holders and patio ticket holders were refunded their purchases and given free tickets to the game, according to the White Sox.

All other individuals who purchased single-game tickets for the originally scheduled contest can get refunds via the services they used to secure those seats, and fans are encouraged to buy tickets through the discounted offer.

Click here to follow the White Sox Talk Podcast.

The contest was halted prior to the start of the 7th inning due to rain, and with no indication of when the precipitation would stop, the game was called after six innings.

The White Sox struggled to get going offensively, but Mike Clevinger was able to keep the team within reach, and the South Siders finally broke through in the fifth inning when Elvis Andrus socked an RBI double to left, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead.

Gavin Sheets added to that lead with a sacrifice fly to let in the sixth, scoring Eloy Jimenez and making it a 3-1 game.

The Red Sox got one back in the sixth inning on an Adam Duvall home run to center field, but that was all Boston could muster, and Mother Nature ensured that the White Sox lead would hold.

The White Sox will now head home for a six-game homestand to finish the season, starting with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

They’ll wrap up the regular season next weekend with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.

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Playing in a steady rain, with the wind blowing in at a steady 10 mph, Cease and Boston starter Nick Pivetta matched scoreless innings before both departed after seven. Aaron Bummer (5-5) pitched the eighth, walking the first two batters before escaping.

Bryan Shaw got the last three outs for his third save, striking out Ceddanne Rafaela with runners on first and second to end it.

Josh Winckowski (4-3) struck out three after relieving Pivetta, allowing two hits, including the curling line drive that found the first row of seats — just beyond the foul pole that is 302 feet from home plate.

Masataka Yoshida had three hits for Boston, which stranded 10 runners — going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

NOTHING DOING

The last-place Red Sox are playing for a chance to finish above .500 and to catch the rival Yankees and avoid finishing last in the AL East for the third time in four seasons. Chicago, which is all-but locked into fourth place in the AL Central, snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 12 games.

Pivetta held the White Sox hitless until Andrew Benintendi singled to lead off the fourth inning. In all, the Red Sox right-hander allowed three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Cease also pitched seven scoreless, allowing six hits for his 17th career double-digit strikeout game, and his fourth this season.

TRAINERS ROOM

Red Sox: Reinstated closer Kenley Jansen from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned RHP Zack Weiss to Triple-A Worcester.

UP NEXT

Finale of the three-game series. RHP Mike Clevinger (8-8) will face Boston RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7).

Click here to follow the White Sox Talk Podcast.

Led by a solid performance from its bullpen, Chicago earned its second straight win after a stretch of seven losses in eight games. It moved within a half-game of Arizona for the second NL wild card and ensured it would hold onto sole possession of the third spot for at least another day.

Colorado wasted a solid performance by Chris Flexen, who pitched five innings of two-run ball. Ezequiel Tovar had three hits for the Rockies on the one-year anniversary of the big league debut for the touted shortstop prospect. Colorado dropped to a major league-worst 22-58 on the road.

The Rockies led 3-1 before the Cubs began to rally. Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Yan Gomes drove in Seiya Suzuki with a tying double in the sixth.

After Nick Mears (0-1) began the seventh with three straight walks on 13 pitches, Bellinger put Chicago in front when he greeted Justin Lawrence with a fly ball to the warning track in left.

Christopher Morel led off the eighth with his 25th homer, and Hoerner singled home Miles Mastrobuoni for another insurance run. Hoerner finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Mastrobuoni also had two hits and scored two runs.

Marcus Stroman pitched three innings of three-run ball for the Cubs in his first start since July 31. The All-Star right-hander was sidelined by hip inflammation and a right rib cartilage fracture, and then made two relief appearances after he was activated on Sept. 15.

After Stroman departed, Javier Assad (5-3) struck out six in four scoreless innings. Julian Merryweather escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, and José Cuas worked the ninth for his second big league save.

The Cubs jumped in front on Ian Happ’s RBI double in the first. Happ advanced on Bellinger’s grounder to second, but he was stranded at third when Brenton Doyle robbed Suzuki with a leaping grab right in front of the ivy-covered wall in center.

Colorado responded with three runs in the second. Elias Díaz drove in Kris Bryant with a bloop single to center. Díaz scored on Stroman’s wild pitch, and Doyle made it 3-1 with a two-out RBI double.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Brad Boxberger (forearm strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list, and RHP Keegan Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. … RHP Adbert Alzolay (forearm strain) had a bullpen session on Friday that went well. He was slated to play catch on Saturday. … INF Jeimer Candelario (low back strain) has resumed baseball activities.

UP NEXT

Left-handers Ty Blach (3-2, 5.32 ERA) and Jordan Wicks (3-1, 2.67 ERA) start Sunday in Chicago’s last home game of the regular season. Blach was tagged for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in Colorado’s 11-9 loss at San Diego on Monday. Wicks pitched 4 1/3 innings of three-run ball in Chicago’s 6-2 loss at Arizona last weekend.

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The offer comes in light of the Monday’s White Sox game being postponed.

The Diamondbacks’ Saturday afternoon game against the Yankees in the Bronx was postponed, and with more severe weather on the way, the Snakes may need Monday to make up at least one of their games against the Yankees.

The game is moved to Thursday with the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. CT. It will be available to watch on NBC Sports Chicago.

Additionally, season ticket holders, premium seating ticket holders, individual suite holders and patio ticket holders with tickets for Monday’s game will receive a credit to their accounts and free tickets for Thursday’s game.

Refunds for all other purchases should be initiated through the point of purchase, such as SeatGeek, StubHub and Ticketmaster.

The upcoming games are pivotal for the Diamondbacks, who hold a one-game lead over the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot. Though crosstown rivals, the Cubs would love some help from their South Side counterparts this coming week as the North Siders look to close in on a playoff berth.

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Playing their first game after being eliminated from postseason contention, the Red Sox (76-78) won for just the second time in eight games.

Looking to avoid just their second 100-loss season in 53 years, the White Sox (58-96) lost for the 10th time in their last 13 games.

Red Sox starter Chris Sale went five scoreless innings, striking out seven while allowing just three singles and a walk against his former team where he was a five-time All-Star from 2010-16.

Chicago right-hander Touki Toussaint, who was claimed off waivers after he was designated for assignment by Cleveland on June 17, gave up a run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 6 1/3 innings.

Trevor Story had three hits and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela also had a fifth inning sacrifice fly for Boston.

Duvall’s bases-loaded sacrifice came against Garrett Crochet (0-2) before Yoshida sent his grounder between first and second for the tie-breaking run.

Mauricio Llovera (2-3) worked a scoreless inning for the victory and Chris Martin got the final three outs for his third save.

Trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Chicago scored twice against reliever Garrett Whitlock. Luis Robert Jr. singled, stole second and third before scoring on Andrew Vaughn’s single. Trayce Thompson delivered a go-ahead RBI double to left-center field gap.

LOWLY 100s

The White Sox lost 100 games in 2018, 1970, 1948 and 1932.

BARBIE NIGHT SELLOUT

The Red Sox promotion honored a hit movie of the summer. There was a pink party before the game on the right-field upper deck with T-shirts for fans that purchased special tickets. On its website, the club also called the stadium (Ken)way Park.

The sold-out attendance was 37,102.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Placed RHP Michael Kopech on the 15-day injured list after he underwent surgery to remove a cyst on his right knee. The team said he’s expected to recover in six to eight weeks. The 27-year-old finished the season with a 5-12 record and a 5.43 ERA in 30 games, making 27 starts.

Red Sox: Placed IF Luis Urias on the 10-day IL with a strained left calf. … RHP Kenley Jansen (Covid-19 list) was in the clubhouse and is expected to be activated Saturday.

UP NEXT

RHP Dylan Cease (7-8, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to start for the White Sox in the middle game of the three-game set weather permitting. RHP Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.48) is set to go for the Red Sox.

Click here to follow the White Sox Talk Podcast.

Joey Meneses and Dominic Smith also homered for Washington, which had a season-high in runs and won back-to-back games for the first time since taking three in a row from Aug. 24-26.

Washington won by at least 10 for the first time since a 14-4 victory over San Francisco on April 29, 2022.

Gavin Sheets drove in two runs for Chicago, which has dropped nine of 12 and 14 of 19. The White Sox (58-95) are 37 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 62-100 in 2018.

Thomas broke the game open after Jesse Scholtens allowed Luis García’s single, hit Jake Alu and walked CJ Abrams to load the bases in the third inning. After taking the first pitch, Thomas hammered a curveball to left for his 26th home run and second career grand slam to put Washington up 8-1.

Thomas, who also walked twice and was hit by a pitch, said he made a conscious effort to be more patient at the plate — especially after a postgame conversation Tuesday with his wife.

“I got in the car last night and I was kind of in a bad mood,” Thomas said. “She was like ‘Just kind of suck it up and stop swinging at those (bad) pitches.’ I was kind of surprised that came out of her mouth. I can’t have her yelling at me after the game.”

Before the blast, Thomas was 4 for 33 lifetime with the bases loaded, including 1 for 13 this season.

Scholtens surrendered six runs in two innings, including Smith’s solo homer to lead off the fourth.

Meneses homered for the second day in a row, a two-run shot in the fifth off Deivi García.

“We didn’t pitch very well and we didn’t hit,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Nine free passes (via walk or hit batsman), a couple errors. There’s not much to really talk about in this game.”

Josiah Gray (8-12) earned his first victory since July 22. The right-hander gave up a run on five hits in five innings and struck out four.

Gray, Washington’s lone All-Star selection, surpassed his victory total from last season. It was the first time he completed five innings in consecutive starts since doing so 10 times in a row in June and July.

“I think the first goal is to stay healthy, and then you want to perform,” Gray said. “You want to go out there every outing and put the team in a position to win. The last two outings, I’ve been able to do that.”

Washington took the lead in the second on Ildemaro Vargas’ RBI single off Tanner Banks (0-4). Abrams later added a two-run double to make it 4-1.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Chicago activated LHP Garrett Crochet (shoulder) from the injured list and placed RHP Gregory Santos (elbow inflammation) on the 15-day IL. Santos went 2-2 with a 3.39 ERA and five saves in 60 games.

Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams’ turn in the rotation will be skipped. Williams has thrown 141 innings after not surpassing 91 innings in each of the last three seasons. “He wants to finish the year off, so I thought the best thing was to skip him one and let him have one more,” manager Dave Martinez said. … Martinez said LHP MacKenzie Gore (finger blister) will not pitch again this season. Gore has been on the injured list since Sept. 9.

UP NEXT

White Sox: After Thursday’s off day, RHP Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.40 ERA) makes his second career start against Boston and first since 2018 when Chicago begins a three-game series Friday at Fenway Park.

Nationals: RHP Jake Irvin (3-6, 4.34), who has a 2.48 ERA in five home starts since July 31, faces Atlanta for the first time as Washington begins a four-game series Thursday.

Along with Guillen, Joe Girardi (Marquee Sports Network), Lisa Byington (Bally Sports Wisconsin), Cliff Floyd (Marquee Sports Network) and Jon Sciambi (Marquee Sports Network).

Along with Guillen, NBC Sports Chicago’s “White Sox Pregame Live” and “White Sox Postgame Live” are both separately nominated for the Live Sports Program Emmy Award.

The show features Guillen with appearances from Gordon Beckham and Frank Thomas. It’s hosted by Chuck Garfien.

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The White Sox hired Brian Bannister to become their Director of Pitching, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien.

They also hired Gene Watson, the Vice President of Major League Scouting for the Kansas City Royals, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

Bannister, 42, not to be confused as a replacement for Ethan Katz — the pitching coach —, will serve in a similar role with the White Sox as the Director of Pitching.

The venerable MLB coach has served as the director of the San Francisco Giants’ pitching staff since 2019. Before then, he spent four seasons with the Boston Red Sox, wearing a litany of hats. He was a scout, the Director of Pitching Analysis and Development, the Assistant Pitching Coach and the Vice President of Pitching Development.

Watson has “more than 25 years of experience covering Major League Spring Training, minor league scouting, and has scouted the Dominican, Venezuelan and Mexican winter leagues,” according to the Royals’ staff directory. He’s served with the Royals on two different stints from 2006-20 and 2021-23.

His most recent position was the Vice President of Major League Scouting/Assistant GM. In 2021, with the Los Angeles Angels, Watson was the Senior Advisor to the GM/Major League Operations.

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