CLEVELAND, Ohio — Grady Sizemore is staying on as part of new White Sox manager Will Venable’s coaching staff. The ex-Cleveland All-Star outfielder has been named offensive coordinator for a Chicago club that finished dead last in the majors with 507 runs scored in 2024.
Sizemore, who served as interim manager for 45 games after Chicago fired Pedro Grifol in August, remains in Chicago on a staff with fellow holdovers such as pitching coach Ethan Katz, first base/outfield coach Jason Bourgeois, hitting coach Marcus Thames, catching coach Drew Butera, assistant pitching coach Matt Wise and third base/infield coach Justin Jirschele.
Venable, who was hired in October, told reporters at baseball’s winter meetings that he expects the position to allow Sizemore to have an impact on in-game strategy while acting as a tone-setter for players in situations at the plate and on the bases.
Sizemore, 42, went 13-32 down the stretch managing the White Sox in 2024. The club finished with 121 losses, the most by a big league team since 1900.
Sizemore served as a special advisor in Cleveland before pursuing coaching opportunities with Arizona and Chicago in recent years. He played the first eight seasons of his 10-year big league career in Cleveland where he won two Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger Award and received American League MVP votes in four consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2008.
Chicago announced Monday that Walker McKinven has been hired to serve as Venable’s bench coach, joining the White Sox after five seasons in Milwaukee. The Sox also added Joel McKeithan as an assistant hitting coach from the Reds.