White Sox GM Chris Getz fails to praise manager Pedro Grifol’s performance

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox are on pace for another 100-loss season, but general manager Chris Getz passed up the opportunity Tuesday to express his confidence in manager Pedro Grifol.

Chicago has the worst record in the majors at 20-54 after a 2-0 win against Houston in the opening game of a three-game series. The White Sox had lost 24 of 29 games before the duel with the Astros.

When asked about Grifol’s performance and whether he envisions him managing the team for the rest of the season, Getz said he has regular conversations with Grifol and they try to put the team’s players in the best position to succeed this season and in the coming seasons.

“So there’s a lot of work to be done, whether it’s with our major league team or our front office to make progress,” Getz said. “I know there’s obviously a lot of speculation about who’s going to play what role in the coming years, and really it’s about being there every day and figuring out how we can put our players in the best position possible.”

Grifol was discontinued in November 2022 and Getz was advertised to GM in August. Chicago went 61-101 in Grifols’ first year as coach, the franchise’s worst record since 56-106 in 1970.

The White Sox weren’t expected to compete this year, but they’ve lost 22 of their first 25 games. They’re among the worst teams in the major leagues in several offensive categories, and their bullpen is struggling, too.

The difficult first half of the season has increased speculation about Grifol’s job security.

“I think the team as a whole, even though the record isn’t very good, I think the intent and the energy to play for the White Sox and for each other, I sense a lot of positives in that,” Getz said before Tuesday night’s win over Houston. “Were there any inconsistencies, whether it was basic breakdowns or baserunning or defense? Yes, that’s come up more often than I would have liked.”

The White Sox are among a small group of teams that are so far out of the playoff race that they can be identified as sellers before the July 30 trade deadline. Outfielder Luis Robert Jr., shortstop Paul DeJong and pitcher Garrett CrochetErick Fedde and Michael Kopech could all move.

Getz said he is “regularly” bombarded with calls from rival teams, and the number has increased recently.

“I would say there are a handful of conversations happening every day,” he said. “I’ve had a few today and I probably expect a few more by the end of the day.”

Crochet is one of the best pitchers available. The left-hander, who turns 25 on Friday, has a 6-5 record and a 3.16 ERA entering Wednesday night’s start against the Astros.

Chicago trades right-handed ace Dylan Cease to San Diego in March as part of a multiplayer deal that could help the team as it approaches the deadline.

“Because Dylan was an attractive player to so many different organizations, I think it gave us a head start in terms of getting to know organizations, whether that applies to Garrett or anyone else,” Getz said. “Having a player as valuable as Dylan in my first offseason as general manager allowed me to build relationships with other general managers and get to know other organizations.”

While Getz is considering his transfer options, Eloy Jiménez is close to returning after being sidelined with a strained left thigh. Jiménez is rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League.

Getz said Jiménez could return next week, and it looks like infielder Yoán Moncada could be back around the All-Star break.

“Those two players are certainly important parts of this organization, our major league club, and it looks like Eloy is not far behind,” Getz said.

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