A couple of hours after the White Sox dismissed manager Pedro Grifol, news surfaced they also fired bench coach Charlie Montoyo, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Thursday.
Montoyo was presumably the easy selection to replace Grifol as the interim manager for the rest of the 2024 season. But the White Sox knocked out that selection, naming Grady Sizemore as the team's interim manager for the rest of the season.
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Before becoming the bench coach for the White Sox on Grifol's staff, Montoyo most notably served as the manager for the Blue Jays from 2019-22. In four seasons as the club's manager, he finished exactly even, with a 236-236 record.
The Blue Jays never finished better than third in the AL East (2020 season). That season, they lost in a three-game series to the Rays in the first round of the postseason. The Blue Jays finished fourth in the division in 2019 and 2021. Midway through the 2022 season, the Blue Jays dismissed Montoyo.
The moves come on an off-day for the White Sox, who recently lost 21 games in a row during a streak that matched the longest such run in American League history.
“As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” said Chris Getz, White Sox senior vice president/general manager, in a statement. “Despite the on-field struggles and lack of success, we appreciate the effort and professionalism Pedro and the staff brought to the ballpark every day. These two seasons have been very challenging. Unfortunately, the results were not there, and a change is necessary as we look to our future and the development of a new energy around the team.”
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Grifol posted a record of 89-190 as White Sox manager, with the team struggling to a 28-89 record so far this season.
Grifol has been on the hot seat for most of the season but had previously said he was not concerned about things he couldn't control.
"I don't really think about that. I don't have any control," Grifol said when asked about being dismissed. "I have a contract and my contract says I will (be back). I'm going to work tirelessly every single day like I'm gonna be here next year and five years after that. My responsibility and my vision is to put this organization in a place where we see white towels all the way from that corner to that corner and we're playing meaningful baseball games every single day. That's what I think about all day long."