8:10pm: Mendoza actually interviewed with the White Sox nearly two weeks ago, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports (via Twitter). He has not had a second interview, although there’s no indication to this point that he’s squarely out of the running.
9:27am: The White Sox have gotten permission to interview Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza in their managerial search, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). It isn’t clear whether Mendoza has already sat down with Chicago brass or is planning to over the coming days, but he marks a new entrant into the mix.
Mendoza, 42, has spent more than a decade in the coaching ranks. A Venezuela native, he began his career as a player in the Giants system back in 1997. He played professionally for 12 years in the San Francisco and Yankees organizations, briefly topping out at Triple-A. After the 2009 campaign, he transitioned into coaching in the New York farm system. He spent the 2011-12 seasons managing at the lower levels of the organization, and he worked his way onto the MLB coaching staff by 2018.
Over the past five seasons, Mendoza has worked on manager Aaron Boone’s staff. He broke in as an infield instructor and was bumped up to bench coach going into the 2020 campaign. A year later, he got looks from the Tigers and Red Sox in their managerial searches. Those respective positions ultimately went to A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora, but Mendoza was reportedly among the final five under consideration for the Boston job.
The White Sox are the only team without a manager currently in place. Tony La Russa held the position for the past two years, but he stepped away from the team late in the season due to health concerns and subsequently announced he wouldn’t return to the role in 2023.
Thus far, Chicago is known to have interviewed bench coach Miguel Cairo (who served as interim manager for the stretch run while La Russa was out), Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, Astros bench coach Joe Espada and former Chicago bench boss Ozzie Guillén. They’ve also been tied to Braves third base coach Ron Washington, although it isn’t known if the sides officially sat down at any point.
It seems they’ve started to narrow down their list of potential candidates. Over the weekend, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported that Espada was no longer in consideration. Heyman adds that Washington and Guillén are also unlikely to land the position at this point.
Joe says...
Wash deserves another shot at managing.
Yankee Clipper
I wish the Yankees had taken one of the many guys available to coach…..
Poster formerly known as . . .
Clipper, I think they did well acquiring Rojas to coach third base. His improvements in managing the running game were a bright spot. In fact, the Yankees ended the season ranked first in DRS, Def and UZR/150, and fifth in Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Above Average.
The pitching staff ranked third in ERA, AVG and WHIP, fifth in K/BB and SIERA, and sixth in FIP. They were seventh in fWAR and second in the AL in fWAR.
That says to me that coaching was a benefit overall, not a problem. I think the problem was the skipper, who’s a good regular-season manager but seems to lose it in the postseason. How much of that is a function of his subservience to Cashman and his analytics department, we can’t know, because they’ll never let us know — unless Boone writes a tell-all book.
Yankee Clipper
Yeah, sorry,I meant to write, “manage.”
Poster formerly known as . . .
Got it. Thanks anyway for motivating me to check the season defensive stats. On the one hand, I was surprised that they’d improved that much. On the other hand, defensive metrics are of dubious value — but when all the indicators point to improvement, I guess we’re safe in believing the team improved defensively.
Yankee Clipper
Hey, you hear Hal is apparently undecided about Cashman? That’s…..unexpected. He better figure it out fast, man – it’s not like he’s got a lot of time.
Poster formerly known as . . .
Ken Rosenthal and other “pundits” have been writing articles suggesting that it would be a “worst-case scenario” if the Yankees let Cashman go, because the Mets might hire him.
In the immortal words of James Brown:
Please! Please! Please!
Yankee Clipper
Haha!
In reality, he may do very well there because of the willingness to spend by Cohen. If Hal would simply spend, and trust Cashman to just win, I don’t think we would have an issue, necessarily.
Poster formerly known as . . .
I’d prefer a GM who spends wisely. Hal didn’t balk at spending to take on Stanton’s massive contract, nor to overpay for overrated Cole. A better GM could bring a trophy to the Bronx while spending less, not more. Let Cashman go to Flushing and waste Cohen’s money.
Yankee Clipper
Yeah, that’s very true, and my biggest Yankees complaint. If they are going to be on a budget, don’t just concern yourself with how much you spend, but also how you spend it.
For the same overall roster AAV they could’ve had both Harper and JT Realmuto, instead of DJL/Stanton. What a difference that would’ve made, huh?
Poster formerly known as . . .
That’s an awfully strong indictment, that comparison. If only Hal could be made to see it that way.
stevep-4
So the White Sox will try to creep above the Mendoza Line I guess…
mjc71
Great… another candidate with very little experience. But will work cheap and will be nothing more than a “yes” man.
Poster formerly known as . . .
On the bright side, his team won the league championship in his one year managing the Gulf Coast League Yankees. On the dimmer side, that was a rookie-level league.
SufferforGuardians
Why not pluck Dave Burba from his current position and inject em’ here
ASapsFables
I’d still like to see Cleveland bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. emerge as a candidate with Terry Francona set to return as the Guardians manager in 2023.
Buff Barnacles
There has to be an undlerlining reason as to why Alomar hasn’t become a manager yet. Its been year after year for close to a decade of his name coming up. Speculation city here; perhaps Alomar is just not interested in a lead manager position?
YEP
I have always wonder the same thing.
Samuel
As I understood it years ago, Sandy has trouble grasping the technical questions that arise in the interviews. He’s fine on the people stuff, but not enough of an analytic believer to pass questions asked about what he would do in certain game situations.
His father and brother played. They see the game differently.
YEP
They were also middle infielders who had a shorter career then Sandy Jr did. Jr was a catcher which is usually one of the best positions to had played to be a manager.
Samuel
Came from an earlier generation. Baseball was played differently then.
Sandy is one of the best catching instructors in MLB.
ASapsFables
@YEP and Samuel
All good reasons for the White Sox to consider Alomar Jr.!
YEP
I been saying it for years. Hire Jr and bring AJ on as a bench coach.
#1WhiteSoxFan
Mendoza from Venezuela. Ozzie from Venezuela.
Likely seen around town ’cause he will be Ozzie’s bench coach and one day replacement for Ozzie.
ASapsFables
Miguel Cairo is also Venezuelan and he’s still the White Sox bench coach as we post. Just saying….
#1WhiteSoxFan
And Cairo led Sox to 7/8 game losing streak to close out the season.
mike127
Don’t you think if it is going to be Cairo, it would be done by now (like three weeks ago). I appreciate due diligence but if he’s a fall back that won’t look good.
I feel that Espada may have been the target but, I’m with you Aaron, Dusty is going to get up on a stage with a trophy some time by the weekend and do the John Elway/Jerome Bettis thing and the job is in waiting for Espada.
ASapsFables
I’d be surprised it Cairo is the White Sox next manager. I could definitely see him being retained as their bench coach if they hire a manager who doesn’t speak Spanish.
I’d love to see the White Sox hire a coaching staff member who speaks Japanese so we can all get excited about a potential Shohei Ohtani trade later this offseason, at least for a day or two until reality sets in. The White Sox front office specializes in teasing its fan base, especially during the hot stove. lol
mike127
Maybe they are doing it to end up getting Jessica Mendoza.
Might as well try again since the Yonder Alonso/Manny Machado thing didn’t work out so well.
Samuel
LOL
This situation sort of reminds me of the movie ‘The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean’ with Paul Newman.
nottinghamforest13
McBain isn’t going to like this.
chopper2hopper
Winner!
rememberthecoop
I thought that one of Hahn’s requirements was prevous managerial experience?
Oddvark
No, it wasn’t. He specifically said previous experience as a manager was not a prerequisite. But he wanted someone with “dugout experience” on a “championship-level” team.
rememberthecoop
Thanks oddvark. You’re right – “recent dugout experience” does not necessarily mean previous managerial experience.
stevep-4
What, like cleaning the dugout?
Yankee Clipper
Well, bat boys do have dugout experience, so you’re not far off…..
Andy 51
Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long is also in the mix.
#1WhiteSoxFan
Yes, for hitting coach
Andy 51
He’s supposedly on short list for Sox manager.
#1WhiteSoxFan
Yes but Ozzie is the next manager.
So Long can be hitting coach!
.
If I was o’l Ozzie boy at this juncture, I would say you guys got 24HRS to make a decision as to whether I am your man or not. Then, adios!
Poster formerly known as . . .
Making ultimatums to persons in superior positions doesn’t always work out very well. Remember Maddon storming into Minasian’s office ordering him to never call the dugout during a game again?
As General Sun Tzu said: “If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.”
If bad, bad Leroy Brown had been wise, he wouldn’t have gotten into a fight with a jealous husband.
.
Haha You are correct Fink.
mike127
This has to be coming soon–
—-and I know players gravitate towards money much more than they do money—but with free agency opening just a handful of days from now, don’t you think you’d like a structure in place to form presentations?
LaRussa not coming back should not have surprised anybody and even if it did the organization should always have a short list ready to go.
#1WhiteSoxFan
“Gravitate towards money more than money”?!
mike127
You got me—should read gravitate towards money more than managers…..sorry!
Samuel
mike127;
The White Sox had the 7th highest payroll in MLB last year.
They’re pretty much tapped out for money based on the revenues they take in.
If anything, I look for them to try to lower payroll this off-season. It appears they’ve started by not going after Jose Abreu. If they sign a player or two it’ll be low-level people unless they can dump a couple of large salaries in trades.
MacD
Yes, Hahn already said that trades will be more prevalent than free agent signings. Either way it scares me only because it’s the same front office.
IronBallsMcGinty
I think they should resign Abreu and put him at DH, Vaughn at first, trade Eloy. Abreu stays healthy, is tough as nails and is a well rounded hitter. Add in his well respected leadership skills and his value far exceeds that of Eloy.
msqboxer
The core of the CWS now and in the future is Dominican and Cuban Jimenez, Moncada, Robert, Colas, Vera, Ramos and Rodriguez. I think it’s imperative that the CWS find someone that can effective communicate with these young players and find a way to tap their potential even though some have already become millionaires and flop around with their gold chains….wouldn’t mind a nice strict Yankee uniform and hair rule.
User 163535993
Yeah get em haircuts. That’ll make em better.
msqboxer
Dude…open up your basement window and get some air.
sss847
i don’t know this dude at all.
but at least he comes from an organization that wins more than the white sox.
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
Hire Ozzie Guillen again
Pads Fans
Stop screwing around. Give Cairo the job.
outinleftfield
12 days ago
lilojbone
I want Home Run Homer!