The Chicago White Sox officially named Will Venable their new manager Thursday, announcing he has agreed to a multiyear contract.
“This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future,” Venable said in a statement. “It’s exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing.
“We want players who show up to work hard every day, but also smart baseball players who understand the nuances of the game. There is a rich tradition here and a fan base that deserves winning baseball, and I am excited to do whatever I can to help.”
Venable, 42, is the 44th manager in franchise history.
“Will is widely recognized as one of the premium managerial candidates within the game, and we are very excited to bring him into our organization as our new manager,” general manager Chris Getz said in a statement. “He is so well thought of across baseball.”
Reports of the hiring first surfaced late Tuesday.
Venable spent the last two seasons as associate manager of the Texas Rangers, with his duties including daily scheduling and outfield instruction.
After nine major-league seasons as an outfielder (2008-16), Venable was hired by the Chicago Cubs in September 2017 as a special assistant to baseball operations. He moved to their big-league staff as first-base coach (2018-19) and third-base coach (2020).
Venable spent two seasons (2021-22) as the Boston Red Sox bench coach and managed seven games in manager Alex Cora’s absence. He joined the Rangers staff in 2023, and they won the franchise’s first World Series title that season.
Venable takes over a Sox team that set a modern MLB record with 121 losses in 2024.
“Will has built a well-earned and well-deserved reputation as a successful player, front-office executive, coach and associate manager,” Getz said in a statement. “A great communicator, Will is going to build strong relationships, set expectations, build a clubhouse where we hold one another accountable and ultimately create a winning mindset among our players and a winning environment in our clubhouse.”