The Chicago White Sox don’t figure to have a ton of wins this offseason, but they got one with their new manager. Chicago landed one of the hottest names on the market, prying Texas Rangers bench coach Will Venable away from Arlington. A Princeton grad who spent parts of nine seasons as a Major Leaguer, Venable has seemed ticketed for a job like this for years now. He entered coaching almost immediately after the end of his playing career, starting with a spot on Joe Maddon’s staff with the Chicago Cubs. Two seasons as Alex Cora’s bench coach with the Boston Red Sox followed, and by the time Venable landed a job as Bruce Bochy’s right-hand man in Texas, it felt like just a matter of time before someone handed him the head role.
That someone turns out to be the White Sox, a much-needed dose of seriousness for an organization coming off the worst year in modern baseball history. Venable’s resume is undoubtedly impressive, and he brings a mix of old-school clubhouse presence and new-age embrace of analytics. In the near term, though, he also brings some connections that could help the White Sox add some much-needed talent in 2025.
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Leclerc was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 postseason, helping to carry the Rangers to their first World Series title in franchise history. He struggled to recapture that magic in 2024, however: His old command problems returned, and he lost the closer’s role en route to a 4.32 ERA (92 ERA+) across 64 appearances. A down year means that Texas is likely to move on this winter, and it also could represent a buy-low opportunity for the White Sox. A team as far away from contention as Chicago is right now doesn’t have a ton of use for bullpen investment, but they have to spend money somewhere, and if they can rehabilitate Leclerc next season, they can flip him to a contender for a prospect or two at the 2025 trade deadline.
2. RHP David Robertson
Speaking of flippable relievers: Robertson seemed to be heading toward retirement last offseason, 39 years old and coming off a dreadful stretch run for the New York Mets. But the veteran signed a one-year deal with Texas in late January and quickly proved he had plenty of bullets left in his right arm, pitching to a 3.00 ERA and a 12.4 K/9. Yes, he’ll be 40 next April, but he’s made a habit of defying Father Time. He’s also among the most proven playoff relievers out there, and if contending teams look elsewhere for bullpen help this offseason, the White Sox could pounce and count on being able to deal him ahead of next year’s deadline.
Heaney has long been one of the most mercurial pitchers in baseball. Catch him on the right night, and he looks like a Cy Young contender; catch him on the wrong one, and you might see him give up seven runs over two innings of work. Heaney was a below-average starter with Texas last season, but his fastball/slider combination remains as tantalizing as ever, and he could be an ideal innings-eater for Venable and the White Sox — and if Chicago can catch lightning in a bottle for a couple months, he could fetch a nice return in a trade to a contender come July.
