Considering how grim the present is for the White Sox, the temptation is to look to the future as much as possible.
And that’s what general manager Chris Getz is doing.
Before the Sox opened a four-game series with the Tigers on Friday night, Getz talked about the search for a permanent manager to replace Pedro Grifol, his early impressions of interim skipper Grady Sizemore and the promise of better days ahead via an improving farm system.
Getz’s stated intention when -he fired Grifol on Aug. 8 was to find a fresh voice from outside the organization. Though that could describe Scott Servais, who lost his job this week amid the Mariners’ free fall, it also could include any number of candidates who still will be working through the end of September — if not longer.
So there’s little reason to rush the search process, according to Getz.
“We’re still getting organized, building our criteria we’re looking for,” he said. “Obviously, names come in left and right to various people throughout the organization. We want to put pen to paper on what the attributes are going to be for our future manager, and then we’ll target those individuals.”
How soon could that happen? Maybe next month.
“It’s possible,” Getz said of interviewing candidates in September. “You’re at the mercy of other clubs, and [we’re] very sensitive to their situations, whether in a playoff hunt or even to get to the finish line. We want to get started when the appropriate time is for the White Sox. But in regards to the right timetable, there are some variables we won’t have control over.”
Meanwhile, Sizemore is in charge of changing the mojo for a historically bad team trying to avoid the worst record in modern MLB history. In a small sample size — the Sox were 3-8 under Sizemore entering Friday — Getz likes what he has seen.
“One of the things Grady does so well is the ease he has with people in general,” Getz said. “He’s one that can take what many would make a complex issue and simplify it. It speaks to his confidence, his ability to communicate in an effective manner.
“I knew he had that talent in him, but to see him go to work with it has been enjoyable.”
There’s also talent in the minor leagues. The Sox had one of MLB’s worst farm systems last year, when they had a No. 26 preseason ranking, according to MLB.com. Now, they’re 11th with four top-100 prospects: left-hander Noah Schultz (15th), shortstop Colson Montgomery (28th), newly drafted lefty Hagen Smith (32nd) and catcher Edgar Quero (63rd).
“The farm system is an indicator we are headed in the right direction,” Getz said, especially in one key area.
“We feel very good where we are from the starting-pitching standpoint. What [director of pitching] Brian Bannister has done, and [pitching coach] Ethan Katz and others throughout the organization — that put us in a pretty solid position.”
All that being said, they’re on pace to post back-to-back 100-loss seasons for the first time in club history.
“We’ve got to put our heads together to improve in all facets of the organization,” Getz said. “We knew there would be no shortcuts along the way. We’re just committed to doing what’s right for us long-term, and we’ve got to stay the course and not cave based on pressure or noise outside of the organization.”