The Chicago White Sox and manager Rick Renteria have agreed to part ways, the team announced in a statement Monday.
The Chicago White Sox and manager Rick Renteria have agreed to part ways following the 2020 season. White Sox general manager/senior vice president Rick Hahn announced today.
Renteria completed his fourth season as White Sox manager in 2020, leading the Sox to a 35-25 (.583) record and a tie for second place in the American League Central. The White Sox lost their best-of-three AL postseason Wild Card Series in three games to the Oakland Athletics. In his four seasons (2017-2020) at the helm, Renteria guided the White Sox to a 236-309 (.436) combined mark and one postseason appearance.
Renteria was hired on on October 3, 2016 to replace Robin Ventura. Renteria spent the 2016 season as bench coach for the White Sox. He also managed the Chicago Cubs in 2014 to a 73-89 record. In 2018, the White Sox announced that they agreed to a contract extension for Renteria. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn did not provide specifics at the time, but Renteria’s original three-year contract was set to expire after the 2019 season.
The move is a bit of a surprise as it comes after the White Sox clinched a spot in the 2020 MLB playoffs to snap a 12-year long postseason drought. Renteria’s been at the helm of Chicago’s rebuild since he joined four years ago. The White Sox have a 236-309 (.433) record under Renteria, including a 100-loss campaign in 2018. But, the team finally broke through this year with their first postseason berth since 2008. Evidently, however, it was not enough to keep Renteria.
Chicago lost in the American League Wild Card Round at the hands of the Oakland Athletics. They lost the best-of-three series, 2-1. In Game 3, the A’s bullpen outpitched Chicago’s, and Chad Pinder had to go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning to seal the win for Oakland.
Up until 2020, the White Sox club had not recorded a winning record since the 2012 season when they finished 85-77. The club finished the regular season in third place in the competitive AL Central with a 35-25 record.
The White Sox’s big offseason moves helped to cement their transition from rebuilder to a contender this year. This past offseason, the club brought in Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion and Gio Gonzalez.
Chicago also signed veteran first baseman Jose Abreu — who had an MVP-worthy 2020 campaign — to a three-year extension. Their free agent spending spree this offseason was paired nicely with the club’s large pool of talented young players, like Tim Anderson, Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez.