The White Sox organization will have new managers at its top three levels. Will Venable was hired to take over the MLB squad while former Birmingham Baron’s manager Sergio Santos was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte to take over the Knights. For the White Sox keeping Santos in-house is a smart move.
Santos was interviewed for the MLB position and could soon find himself as a hot coaching candidate. The 41-year-old guided the Barons to a Southern League Championship during his first season in the White Sox organization. He will now have an opportunity to work with many of the same prospects.
The Los Angeles native checks many boxes a team like the White Sox is looking for in a manager. Santos is a former player, making 194 MLB appearances across Sox seasons in the show. He pitched with the White Sox from 2010-11, posting a 3.98 ERA with 39 saves. When he became the White Sox closer in 2011 he led the team with 30 saves and produced a career high 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Santos knows what it takes to succeed at the MLB level, but he can also relate to a variety of different players. He was initially drafted as an infielder by the Diamondbacks in 2002. But despite being a first-round pick, he converted into a full-time pitcher in 2009. His hiring makes him the 26th manager in franchise history and just the fourth Knight’s player to be named skipper. He pitched in three games for the Knights in 2009. He is also bilingual, allowing him to communicate more effectively with the majority of players he coaches.
His track record as a coach speaks for itself. In 2022 he led the FCL Yankees to a Florida Complex League championship during his first season as a manager. During his two seasons with the Yankees organization, Santos’s teams went a combined 108-79. During his first season with the Barons, his squad went 72-66, which included a first-half division title after going 41-28 en route to the championship. Many of the players he worked with during that run have since been called up to Triple-A, giving Santos familiarity with the roster, which will allow for continuity in development. Of the organization’s top-10 prospects, five of them are projected to begin the season in Charlotte.
The White Sox should consider themselves fortunate that Santos remained in house, because if his success continues he may be poached by a major league club sooner rather than later.
