Usually, in sports, leaks happen for two reasons. The organization has a story they want to be leaked out, or they are dysfunctional.
On Friday, NBC Sports Chicago announced that the White Sox are set to interview Ozzie Guillen next week. MLB analyst Bruce Levine added a similar report shortly after tweeting:
“It is likely Ozzie Guillen will get an interview for the managers job with the White Sox soon but that has not occurred yet.”
But on Saturday, Guillen caught everyone off guard by telling the Chicago Sun-Times that he has not yet been contacted despite conflicting reports. So what is going on?
There are few sports personalities more polarizing in Chicago than Ozzie Guillen. He is a lightning rod for the White Sox fan base, with mixed feelings about whether he should return as a manager or not. There is no denying when his name pops up; it garners attention.
Guillen has also said he would be interested in the job. He went live on the air and boldly proclaimed that nobody knows the ball club better than he does.
"Let me be cocky now… Nobody in baseball knows this ballclub better than Ozzie Guillen."
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/lhe4tw3CqE
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) October 2, 2022
From a baseball perspective, hiring Ozzie Guillen is a mistake. There is no denying he is an energetic manager who is not afraid to hold players accountable. Many former players speak highly of his leadership and clubhouse camaraderie. He will also forever be beloved on the Southside for guiding the White Sox to their only World Series title in the last century. He has a lot of good things going for him, especially when you consider the White Sox haven’t hired anyone outside of the White Sox family since Jerry Manuel in 1998.
However, people forget that the end of Guillen’s White Sox tenure was a disaster. Jerry Reinsdorf said five years ago that a reunion with Guillen “can’t happen.” His short stint in Miami didn’t end any better. He made headlines when he said he loved Fidel Castro and was fired after a year. He hasn’t managed since. Since then, he has been out of the dugout for ten years.
The White Sox know they cannot misfire on another managerial hire after the Tony La Russa debacle. Going outside of the organization seems like the best road to success. While the White Sox still may be interviewing Guillen later in the week, there is a good possibility they leaked that report to draw attention away from the Joe Espada rumors. Hence why, Guillen said he had not been contacted yet on Friday.
Espada has been linked to the White Sox for quite some time. The White Sox were “impressed” by his interview, and he possesses many of the qualities you would want in a manager. Espada has been on a team that has gone to the ALCS for six consecutive seasons. If there is anyone in baseball that would know what a winning culture looked like, it would be him.
There were multiple reports this weekend that the White Sox were going to hire him. However, the Astros are still in the playoffs. Neither Espada nor the team needs the distraction during the playoffs. The White Sox will likely announce the hire following the World Series, so to draw attention away from Espada, they leaked the Guillen news.
This is purely speculation at this point, but given all the evidence, it is a distinct possibility.
If I were Espada no way I leave the Astros organization/roster for the White Sox.
Who knows, if Dusty gets a World Series title, he could be next man up for Astros should Dusty retire.