Chris Getz’s hires explain themselves over White Sox’s final week

Full moon over Guaranteed Rate Field, White Sox ballpark
(Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)

Jerry Reinsdorf referred to the 2023 White Sox in the past tense when he introduced Chris Getz as the new White Sox general manager last month, and Pedro Grifol’s team responded accordingly. Failing to exist wasn’t an option due to scheduling obligations, so they did the bare minimum to maintain vital signs, and now they’ve lost 100 games, with a shot at 101 losses for the first time since 1970.

Perhaps that’s why the White Sox trotted out Getz’s new hires — Senior Advisor to Pitching Brian Bannister, Assistant General Manager Josh Barfield and Director of Player Personnel Gene Watson — to the media, and over the course of days. Anything to distract from the present mess is preferable, even if the most pressing issue is how any of them are going to be able to help clean it up.

Having processed all the coverage from those sessions, let’s update some priors.

Brian Bannister

Perhaps the best thing about the Bannister hiring is that he doesn’t have to speak for himself. The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly captured the reaction around the San Francisco Giants organization regarding Bannister’s departure, and it’s all sounds what you want to hear:

Several Giants pitchers including Wood and John Brebbia cited their work with Bannister and called his departure a significant loss.

“He’s one of the smartest pitching guys I’ve been around and he has a lot to do with a lot of guys signing here,” Wood said. “Banny had a knack for identifying things you could do to be better, and also how to accomplish those things. He was really good at coming up with solutions you could try to propel yourself forward. But so are (pitching coaches) J.P. (Martinez) and Andrew Bailey. He’ll be tough to replace but they have good people here.”

“That’s why I came here to begin with,” Brebbia said. “Looking around the league, seeing the pitchers who had come in and come out, there’s a distinct advantage to being a Giants pitcher. There are definitely other teams that are good at it. But it was pretty clear the Giants were in the elite level of teams.

“There’s no question Banny is elite at what he does. Up and down, our staff on the pitching side — and that’s all I know because they haven’t worked with me on hitting, which in fairness, probably would be a waste of time — is incredible at what they do. It stinks to lose a guy like that.”

There are no clear reasons why Bannister left the Giants for a similar role with a lesser team, but Baggarly reported that Bannister, who also runs a private coaching and consulting business on the side, said the White Sox offered better work/life balance.

Bannister didn’t bring that up with the reason he offered the Chicago media…

“This was an opportunity to be a little more empowered and have a little bit bigger impact on the club and the direction and really get involved in every department and every area,” Bannister said. “This is a special franchise, and I’d love to see it be very successful in the near term.”

… but that’s not something you want to lead with.

Michael Kopech sounds like somebody who could be a special immediate project for Bannister. A successful team would move Kopech to the bullpen, but the White Sox would have four empty rotation spots without him, he once again has a documented knee problem underneath the degradation of his stuff, and fashioning him into a high-leverage reliever would be kind of a waste for a team that will be likely be ticketed to lose 90-something games.

Bannister and Kopech briefly overlapped in Boston, and if they’re not just being polite, they’ll each have something to look forward to over the next six-plus months.

“I’ve liked Banny since I met him,” Kopech said. “He’s been nothing but good to me as a professional. He can offer a lot with the experience he’s had being with the Sox and Giants. I’m excited to have him on, excited to get to know him more on a personal level. [And] see where that can take my career and, hopefully, take this team.”

“My sweet spot has always been helping pitchers who are either coming off a down year or have lost their identity a little bit, and really getting in there and building trust with them and helping them identify what makes them a productive Major League pitcher and just walking alongside them in that process,” said Bannister, who already has had conversations with Kopech. “I’m a big believer in him.”

Josh Barfield

As a relatively anonymous front office employee with the Arizona Diamondbacks, there’s a little more telling than showing with regards to what Barfield brings.

I don’t care to know what Pedro Grifol thinks of him, for instance, but I don’t want to be the only one to suffer.

“Watching these guys play [for Arizona], from our dugout over there, those guys were developed right. I’m glad he’s on our side,” said White Sox manager Pedro Grifol of Barfield. “Smart, articulate, well spoken, you can go on and on and on. I’m happy he’s on our team. I think Chris has done a really good job assembling a nice group around him that’s going to bring some different ideas.”

What’s most notable to me is that he’s going to be taking the lead on player development, even after the White Sox hire a distinct farm director to replace Getz.

Barfield anticipates being involved “in a lot of different areas.”

“Especially early on on the player development side,” he said. “That’s where I have the most experience and bring a different perspective. Chris has done a great job on the PD side here. I learned a little bit different perspective.

“We’ll still hire a farm director, but I’ll still be heavily involved, especially early on, in that side. As we get into the offseason with roster construction and player acquisition, I’ll be involved in that as well.”

If nothing else, Barfield comes from an organization that managed to wrangle a lot of young talent by different means and shape it into a postseason team, at least within the last seven years. He may not have a lot that he can be individually credited for, but as he ascends into an amorphous assistant GM role, that may continue to be the case.

Gene Watson

The further the White Sox’s World Series championship receded into the rear-view mirror, the sadder it became when Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams used it to validate themselves. One of last times Hahn deployed it was also one of his saddest — his first comments on the Mike Clevinger at the start of spring training.

“From a due diligence standpoint, we have had some success in past years – I’ve been here now, this is the start of my 23rd season, so I’ve been involved in a lot of background checks, a lot of evaluations of players’ makeup from outside the organization – we have had success at times in the past taking calculated risks on players that had, let’s say, immaturity issues with other organizations, bringing them in here, making them part of our environment and giving them a new opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Hahn said. “We probably don’t have that ring in ’05 without taking chances like that.”

While I wasn’t enthused about Getz being the only guy considered to replace Hahn and Williams, it’s at least a relief that he has zero connection to the 2005. There’s no real way he can steal valor, and with what he’s said so far, he possesses some awareness that he doesn’t have much in the way of accomplishments to lean on.

But one of the reasons I reflexively reject every signing and hiring with a connection to the Royals is a creeping danger that the 2015 World Series is going to be the new championship everybody points to, as if White Sox fans are supposed to care.

Here’s Grifol again:

“[Watson]’s wonderful,” said Grifol, who was with K.C. for 10 years before being hired as White Sox manager last November. “He’s really, really well-versed in the game, very creative. He was one of the main reasons that Kansas City did what they did in (20)14 and ’15 (World Series). He really knows the landscape of the game, he knows the landscape of other teams. He’s going to be really good for us.”

Just like the 2005 White Sox, the 2014-15 Royals won with a roster that didn’t project particularly well, but managed to maximize its strengths beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. Then they spent the next several seasons showing how hard it was to maintain success with such small margins. If Watson is one of the main reasons why the Royals won consecutive pennants and a World Series last decade, then logic dictates that he was a reason why the Royals averaged 102 losses over his last four full seasons with the team.

As I wrote before, the hope is that he’s just somebody who’s seen enough and knows enough to help Getz avoid some landmines. The hope is that he’s being generous with his evaluations of the talent on hand out of politeness, whether he’s talking about the roster

“We’ve got stars,” Watson said. “We’ve got stars on the field. We’ve got to put players around them that love to play the game with them and know how to play and that’s what we’re going to work for.”

or the front office:

“Our professional scouting staff is outstanding,” Watson said, mentioning that he already has met with his entire staff.

I suppose the bonus of him being jumping to a team shocked by 100 losses from a team that made a home of such squalor is that he knows the areas the White Sox will have to mine:

“When it comes to six-year free agents, Rule 5, major-league free agents, comeback guys, going to facilities in the winter to watch bullpens, our relationships with agents, our relationships with past players, we’re going to turn over every stone we can to improve this team.”

To which I say, keep digging, Watson.

Author

  • Jim Margalus

    Writing about the White Sox for a 16th season, first here, then at South Side Sox, and now here again. Let’s talk curling.

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soxygen

Bannister shared his thinking this week and he sounds like the right guy for the job, which apparently is in the bakery.

“You have ingredients in the organization when you get there. It’s the Drafts that have occurred in previous years, it’s the players that are in the system, it’s the expertise of the staff and what they’re comfortable teaching But ultimately, you’re looking to bake the best cakes possible. These are the ingredients you have, so bake the best cakes.”

I can’t wait to see what Pedro can do with a little more help from this dude! Next year, when Pedro doesn’t have to wear the baker’s hat, things will be much better.

Last edited 1 year ago by soxygen
As Cirensica

I can’t wait to see what Pedro can do with a little more help from this dude!

more like “I can’t wait to see what Pedro can’t do with a little more help from this dude! “

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

My guess is Pedro will find a way a manage a bad team again but kiss enough asses that he gets his 3rd year chance to “bounce back”. White Sox Culture

ParisSox

Grifol is just not credible. If everything is great, is anything great?

Yes I know he wouldn’t talk bad about the new hires but the Sox could hire (insert any famous dictator name) and he’d say, “Great hire! Great leader!

King Joffrey

Grifol describes Watson as being ‘really, really well-versed in the game’. I’ll wager Watson’s eventual replacement wil be ‘really, really, really well-versed in the game’.

BenwithVen

I like Barfield and Bannister, but both saying they’re going to be “involved in multiple areas” sounds like it has the potential to be a “too many cooks…” situation that supposedly plagued the previous regime.

JazznFunk

Too many cooks or too few cooks. Wasn’t some of the criticism that the organization was comparatively small? Being involved in multiple areas could indicate they will eventually need more staff.

Last edited 1 year ago by JazznFunk
BenwithVen

I think it’s both. Too small of a staff to delegate clearly defined tasks and no clear hierarchy in regards to decision making = another shambolic FO. Jerry just refuses to get out of the way.

Last edited 1 year ago by BenwithVen
JazznFunk

My sense is it initially is ok to have guys with a broader purview so they can really get a handle on what is going on and how to fix it. My concern would be when they then identify they need to hire Specialist A, Specialist B, etc, they won’t be able to

soxygen

It does sound a little like guys being asked to wear too many hats…Getz might need to bring in someone else with a loosely defined job to give him advice about giving senior staff defined areas of responsibility.

Last edited 1 year ago by soxygen
Foulkelore

They could call that role the Mad Hatter, and his primary purpose would be to determine which hats each member of the front office and coaching staff get to wear. He has to prevent Grifol from wearing too many hats as well, since that was the primary issue with Grifol, as we all know.

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

Brilliant!

Member

🔥

PauliePaulie

Any talent these guys posess is wasted under JR and CG.
Using the ’15 Royals as a template for success is a fool’s errand.

soxygen

In all seriousness, one thing that 2014-2015 KCR was really good at that has been a weakness for the CWS: outfield defense. If we’re going to have Royals guys running this team, can we at least get a top 5 defensive outfield out of the bargain?

Last edited 1 year ago by soxygen
PauliePaulie

Guess that would at least partially depend on what Daryl Boston’s roll is going forward

ForsterFTOG

Designated bullet catcher.

GrinnellSteve

I’m happy to see people with non-Sox perspectives having serious influence over many aspects of the organization. If they get spread too thin, they can bring in more employees with non-Sox perspectives.

I’m excited about Bannister. Thrilled they poached him.

Barfield has less to hang his hat on, but he’s had a front-row seat to the impact fast, athletic players who can get on base can have on both sides of the ball. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until he actively abuses that benefit.

I fear Watson might be too old school, looking for players with TWTW who can fill out a uniform and look the part. He does bring a new set of contacts. It’s not like Sox scouting was covering themselves in glory. I’ll give him a shot, but he has a shorter rope.

Despite the meager quality of his own resume, Getz is off to a decent start. I wish he had immediately fired Grifol, saying, “If I ever have to look at his face again, I’ll puke.” Some of his pronouncements have been suspect, but I hope that has more to do with his skill at setting than narrative. I’ll judge him based on his actions. These three hires look like 2.5 solid ones.

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

The hirings are nice, I’m just worried in typical Jerry owner fashion that’ll be the end of it. I don’t trust Jerry Reinsdorf to allow people to make decisions that are good for the franchise and don’t mitigate fiscal loss in what he thinks is valuable.

Augusto Barojas

The Getz promotion for me was the last straw. I was happy that they had a bad enough season to get some prospects in return for guys that were leaving. It was even bad enough to fire Rick/Kenny. This could have been a turning point that led to at least moderately better things. But promoting Getz instead of hiring somebody good was so insanely idiotic there aren’t words for.

With a good GM there would still be the constraint of the cheapass, a-hole owner, which would be tough for any GM to work with. But instead they have another nitwit at GM for god knows how long. Goodbye.

It is idiotic, lazy, and likely to produce similar results for the foreseeable future. That said, I believe fan how you want. If saying goodbye is the way for your? I get it, absolutely. I’m choosing to stick around because it is my way of showing this horrible owner that existentialism runs two ways: He is 87, the team was around before him and will be around after him. The fans are a reminder to him he will be gone eventually, and if this is the legacy he wants to leave so be it. The masses who have supported have been left to fend for ourselves now, and one day change will happen. We will not mourn and will not praise him.

asinwreck

I wonder, given Bannister’s presence and a mention in the Sun-Times profile on Barfield that the team is looking for a farm director, if there’s a chance that Gabe Kapler might be considered for that position.

PROS:
-Did that job for Andrew Friedman’s Dodgers, with lots of success stories contributing to that franchise’s dominance.
-Led the Giants to 107 wins and generally did well with meh rosters.
-Data-driven approach meshes well with Bannister’s philosophy and would be a major change for this organization.
-Of most relevance, Kapler knows Bannister, and this organization don’t want no one no one sent.

CONS:
-First Giants manager to be fired before his contract ended since the legendary Jim Davenport of the Crazy Crab-era 1985 team, in part because he lost the clubhouse. But this is small change compared to….
-Remember how badly Chris Getz handled the Vizquel sexual abuse situation? Kapler had what he later referred to as an “error in judgement” regarding sexual assault allegations against Dodger prospects while acting as farm director in 2015. His 2019 comments point to potentially learning from the experience, but it raises serious questions about his judgement that unfortunately would put him in like-minded company amongst White Sox leadership. (Given how poorly Sox HR practices have gone of late, I’d almost expect this to be the reason why he’s going to be hired.)

soxygen

It’s hard for me to take Kapler seriously after those disastrous first few games as Phillies manager, but obviously he has logged a lot of game experience since then and I haven’t paid too much attention due to my East Coast bias.

https://www.thegoodphight.com/platform/amp/2018/4/2/17186106/a-full-accounting-of-gabe-kaplers-first-three-phillies-games

ForsterFTOG

His first three games?

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

I hope Barfield has autonomy to make the farm director hire since I don’t think Getz is qualified for that or Bannister. If Kapler is around because Bannister or Getz force that then this is just the cycle of ineptitude all over again. Let these new hires do what they need to to learn on the job and not try to put “baby gloves” around them: IE Charlie Montoyo forced stuff. If they fail, it doesn’t seem like that matters too much to Jerry anyways and if they figure out something that unlocks this dead ass org, then they can find better employment elsewhere at least.

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

Nightengale will forever be known as the voice of doom for White Sox fans. Eventually it’ll be different, for better or worse

GrinnellSteve

I think Frank would be terrible in that role. My guess is he doesn’t know a lot about actually helping hitters learn strike zone judgment or how to elevate the ball. Those things came naturally to him.

ForsterFTOG

Why would so many others know but not Frank? Frank worked hard at his craft.
I don’t think you dismiss anyone.
Just my 2cents

GrinnellSteve

No, you’re right. He worked hard to develop his many natural gifts, and he might understand how to pass all of that on to less-talented charges. My opinion is based on the analysis he offers on Sox and Fox studio shows. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I don’t think he’s be good in that role. If he were to get that job, I’d cut him the same slack I’m giving Getz. I’d give him more because he’s The Big Hurt. Until he succeeds in that role, I’m skeptical.

asinwreck

I hope someone inside the organization is conducting oral history interviews as part of the truth and reconciliation process once Reinsdorf is in the ground.

PauliePaulie

I’m all for it, IF he gets special league permission to give ALL the prospects whatever he was taking in ’94.

steelydan52

Hitting coach yes, farm director no. Course the whole Sox farm system would be on New Genix or however you spell it. And then all the gals would be happy too!

The worst part of this is you know that it wouldn’t be Getz’s idea; it’s Jerry meddling yet again.

ChiSportsDrummerMJ

Just a reminder: The content community is the best thing about being a fan of this team currently. Sox thoughts are: I hope 3 external hires is not the extent of this being different message Getz tried to convey. Also my fear of Chicago Royals era baseball is the expectation to lose 100 games regularly and being surprised when it doesn’t, something fans are already familiar with albeit not as many 100 L seasons, but losing ones none the less. Normalizing this to make fans feel comfy about the team is not going to go over well but at least the misery will be entertaining since I’m expecting it. I don’t have hope with this team, after all “hope is not always translated to reality” or something like that.

steelydan52

I think if I walked up and kicked Griol on his left nut he’s compliment me for my kick and thank me for not kicking both his nuts.
If Bannister is that good, why not get rid of Katz and give Bannister the pitching coach title?
And on a Bears note, if Eberflus still has a job tomorrow morning with the Bears then I think McCaskey and Reinsdorf are one and the same. I just cannot believe his decision making today. Pitiful.

steelydan52

Remillard gets the game tying hit in the 10th! Grifol’s guys just don’t quit!