White Sox fire Pedro Grifol amid disastrous season

May 8, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol (5) returns to the dugout against the Kansas City Royals after a pitcher change in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Manager Pedro Grifol was almost certainly on borrowed time with the Chicago White Sox, and on Thursday, they decided to make the inevitable move.

The White Sox announced Thursday that Grifol has been fired as manager after less than two seasons. The move comes with the White Sox losing games at a historic pace, entering play Thursday at 28-89 on the season.

“As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” White Sox GM Chris Getz said in a statement. “Despite the on-field struggles and lack of success, we appreciate the effort and professionalism Pedro and the staff brought to the ballpark every day. These two seasons have been very challenging. Unfortunately, the results were not there, and a change is necessary as we look to our future and the development of a new energy around the team.”

The team did not immediately name an interim manager.

Grifol’s exit has been almost inevitable for months . The timing is a bit strange, but it may have been accelerated by the team’s recent record-tying 21-game losing streak, which it only snapped with a win on Tuesday. The decision may well have been made during that streak, with the team waiting until the end of the West Coast road trip to pull the trigger.

Grifol presided over a turbulent period in which the White Sox had a lot of drama and very little on-field success. He post an 89-190 record as manager, and the team’s clubhouse culture became an issue in addition to the lack of on-field success. He did not exactly connect with fans either, with some of his public comments being ridiculed for perceived weirdness.

The White Sox are essentially facing a full rebuild as they close out a season that will, at least record-wise, be one of the worst in MLB history. This may not be the most desirable job out there, but one would figure the team will probably wind up targeting younger, less-established candidates for the job.

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