The Chicago White Sox are expected to interview former skipper Ozzie Guillén next week as they continue to seek out a new manager, according to Michael Allardyce of NBC Sports Chicago. The White Sox announced at season's end that Tony La Russa would not return for a third season, in part because of his ongoing health issues.
Guillén, 58, has not managed since the 2012 season, his ill-fated year with the Miami Marlins that saw him post a 69-93 record. Prior to joining the circus in Miami, Guillén had served as the White Sox manager for parts of eight seasons. He won 52.4 percent of his regular season games in that time, and led the White Sox to the 2005 World Series title over the Houston Astros.
"Let me be cocky," Guillén said last month as part of his television duties for NBC Sports Chicago. "Nobody in baseball knows this ballclub better than Ozzie Guillén."
If the White Sox were to hire Guillén, it would mark the team's second consecutive repeat managerial appointment; La Russa, of course, had served as Chicago's skipper back in the '80s. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided to right what he perceived as a wrong by handing over the reins in 2021, despite La Russa having not managed a big-league game since the 2011 World Series.
It's unclear if Guillén would find more success than La Russa did.
The White Sox have reportedly cast a wide net thus far in their managerial interview process. Some of the names highlighted by Jon Heyman of the New York Post include Ron Washington, Pedro Grifol and Joe Espada. When Heyman asked Reinsdorf about potentially giving Guillén another spin, he responded: "You know I don't comment on rumors."
The White Sox are one of three teams actively seeking out a new manager, alongside the Miami Marlins and the Kansas City Royals. The Texas Rangers filled their void on Friday, hiring three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy.
