Melissa Sage-Bollenbach is a die-hard White Sox fan and Mom of two incredible kids! She also has a Cubby hubby, but it’s OK because he likes the Sox. She went to the first Field of Dreams game, and it was the best baseball experience she’s ever had!
The Chicago White Sox are heading into the offseason with big changes to their major league coaching staff. On Monday, the club announced it will not renew the contracts of four coaches: pitching coach Ethan Katz, hitting coach Marcus Thames, first base/outfield coach Jason Bourgeois, and catching coach Drew Butera.
Grady Sizemore, who spent 2025 as the team’s offensive coordinator, won’t be retained in that capacity but will be offered a different job within the organization. It is currently unknown whether Sizemore will remain in Chicago. The former All-Star outfielder also served as interim manager after the firing of Pedro Grifol for the final 45 games of the 2024 season, going 13–32.
The Katz Lab had been around since 2021, riding the rollercoaster from playoff highs to the recent rebuild slog. Thames was a 2024 add, while Bourgeois and Butera just wrapped up year two before getting the axe.
General manager Chris Getz said the moves were not made lightly.
“While we greatly appreciate all that Ethan, Marcus, Jason and Drew have done for this organization, Will and I have agreed on the very difficult decision to make several changes to our coaching staff in 2026,” Getz said in a statement. “Our respect for these coaches as people and as professionals made these decisions difficult, and we thank them for their many contributions.”
Manager Will Venable echoed that sentiment, calling the process “incredibly difficult” but necessary.
“These are friends and teammates who have been through all the moments and trials alongside you,” Venable said. “Ultimately, we have short-term and long-term goals… and that means always considering how our staff can best support the growth and success of our players.”
The search for new coaches starts now. The White Sox need answers, and they need them fast. While the rules of math tell us that 60 wins is better than 41, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
It’s too early to know about potential candidates for these now-open positions, so we’ll keep you posted here at South Side Sox!
