White Sox fans divided on news of Mike Rizzo's arrival at the front office - "No thank you" "This would be a home run"
Chicago White Sox fans welcomed the club's decision to part ways with executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday, August 23. The decision was made by club owner Jerry Reinsdorf after the team was out of playoff contention amid an underwhelming season.
Since the departure of the two pivotal figures, a few names have been linked for the White Sox job. Washington Nationals' President of Baseball Operations and general manager Mike Rizzo has emerged as a potential contender to replace Hahn, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
"Mike Rizzo is viewed within the baseball industry as a potential candidate for the White Sox top baseball operations position, as his extension with the Nationals has yet to be finalized."
Rizzo is a native of Chicago and has a history with the club, as he was one of the scouts for the Upper Midwest region at the start of his career. White Sox icon and Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas was signed by Rizzo during his time with the club.
While Rizzo's history and experience in the division make him a great candidate for the job, fans were split on the news of his potential arrival at the club.
Assistant General Manager Chris Getz is in the run for the top White Sox job
One of the longest-serving GMs in the MLB, Rizzo was named the Assistant General Manager of the Washington Nationals in 2007 after his tremendous success with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a Scouting Director.
He was promoted to the President of Baseball Operations during the 2013 season and made a series of intelligent trades during the team's World Series triumph in 2019.
He is currently in the last year of his contract with the Nationals, making him a prime candidate for the White Sox role. However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has stated that assistant GM Chris Getz is the front-runner for the position and is likely to be promoted in the next few days.
Meanwhile, according to the senior journalist, Texas Rangers' senior advisor of baseball operations, Dayton Moore, is also expected to join Getz in the front office.
Moore previously worked with Getz and current White Sox manager Pedro Grifol at the Kansas City Royals. He was the GM and the president of baseball operations of the Royals when they won the World Series in 2015, but was let go by the club in 2022.