Ozzie Guillen

White Sox Have Interviewed Carlos Mendoza

By Anthony Franco | October 31, 2022 at 8:10pm CDT

8:10pm: Mendoza actually interviewed with the White Sox nearly two weeks ago, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports (via Twitter). He has not had a second interview, although there’s no indication to this point that he’s squarely out of the running.

9:27am: The White Sox have gotten permission to interview Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza in their managerial search, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). It isn’t clear whether Mendoza has already sat down with Chicago brass or is planning to over the coming days, but he marks a new entrant into the mix.

Mendoza, 42, has spent more than a decade in the coaching ranks. A Venezuela native, he began his career as a player in the Giants system back in 1997. He played professionally for 12 years in the San Francisco and Yankees organizations, briefly topping out at Triple-A. After the 2009 campaign, he transitioned into coaching in the New York farm system. He spent the 2011-12 seasons managing at the lower levels of the organization, and he worked his way onto the MLB coaching staff by 2018.

Over the past five seasons, Mendoza has worked on manager Aaron Boone’s staff. He broke in as an infield instructor and was bumped up to bench coach going into the 2020 campaign. A year later, he got looks from the Tigers and Red Sox in their managerial searches. Those respective positions ultimately went to A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora, but Mendoza was reportedly among the final five under consideration for the Boston job.

The White Sox are the only team without a manager currently in place. Tony La Russa held the position for the past two years, but he stepped away from the team late in the season due to health concerns and subsequently announced he wouldn’t return to the role in 2023.

Thus far, Chicago is known to have interviewed bench coach Miguel Cairo (who served as interim manager for the stretch run while La Russa was out), Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, Astros bench coach Joe Espada and former Chicago bench boss Ozzie Guillén. They’ve also been tied to Braves third base coach Ron Washington, although it isn’t known if the sides officially sat down at any point.

It seems they’ve started to narrow down their list of potential candidates. Over the weekend, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported that Espada was no longer in consideration. Heyman adds that Washington and Guillén are also unlikely to land the position at this point.

White Sox No Longer Considering Joe Espada In Managerial Search

By Mark Polishuk | October 29, 2022 at 9:02pm CDT

Astros bench coach Joe Espada is no longer a candidate to become the next White Sox manager, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. Espada was reportedly a finalist for the Marlins’ job before Miami hired Skip Schumaker earlier this week, and he hasn’t been linked to the Royals, the only other team still looking for a new manager. As a result, it looks like Espada will again come up short in a bid for his first Major League managerial job, after previously being considered by such teams as the Mets, Giants, Athletics, Twins, and Cubs over the last few seasons.

The 47-year-old Espada has been Houston’s bench coach for the last five seasons, the Yankees’ third base coach/infield coach from 2015-17, and the Marlins’ third base coach from 2010-13. Prior to his first big league posting, Espada also worked as a coach and coordinator for several years in the Marlins farm system. There has been speculation that the Astros might’ve been grooming Espada to step into their managerial post if Dusty Baker wasn’t retained or if the 73-year-old Baker decided to retire, but since Houston is reportedly interested in bringing Baker back in 2023, Espada might have to wait at least one more year if the Astros job is indeed a possibility.

Espada, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, and former White Sox and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen are the only candidates confirmed to have interviewed for the White Sox job. Reports surfaced last week that the Sox had interest in speaking with Guillen about a possible return, and NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien reported that Guillen’s interview took place last Monday.

Beyond that trio, interim manager Miguel Cairo and Braves third base coach Ron Washington were also known to be under consideration, though it isn’t known if the Sox have actually spoken with either candidate. One would imagine Cairo has already met with the team at some point in the last few weeks, since as Merkin notes, White Sox GM Rick Hahn said during his season wrap-up press conference on October 3 that Cairo would get an interview.

With this uncertainty still surrounding the search, it isn’t known if the White Sox have any other interviews lined up, or if they’re approaching any sort of “finalist” stage. It is possible the Sox might be waiting until the World Series is over (or at least for the Series’ scheduled off-days on October 30 or November 3) to make an official announcement, if they are indeed close to a decision.

White Sox Expected To Interview Ozzie Guillen In Managerial Search

By Nick Deeds | October 21, 2022 at 5:12pm CDT

NBC Sports Chicago’s Michael Allardyce reports that the White Sox plan to interview Ozzie Guillen next week in their search for a new manager following the retirement of Tony La Russa. Guillen has previously expressed interest in returning to the dugout as manager, and the White Sox have previously been reported to prefer an experienced manager to replace La Russa. The White Sox have been previously reported to have interest in Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol and Braves third base coach Ron Washington, among others, for their managerial vacancy.

Guillen was previously manager of the White Sox for eight seasons starting in 2004, highlighted by a 2005 season that saw Guillen’s White Sox win 99 games and capture the team’s first World Series championship since 1917. Following his tenure on the south side, Guillen managed the Marlins during the 2012 season. Overall, Guillen has a 678-617 record over his 9 seasons as a manager.

A reunion with Guillen, who the White Sox fired 160 games into the 2011 season, would be of particular note considering La Russa himself returned to the White Sox as manager following the 2020 season decades after he had suffered a midseason firing of his own. La Russa managed the White Sox to a 174-150 record across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with the organization’s 81-81 record in 2022 registering as a particular disappointment for a club that has only just recently emerged from a rebuilding phase. Given the team’s struggles under La Russa, it would be a bold decision to bring in another former White Sox skipper to return to the manager’s seat rather than a new voice from outside the organization. On the other hand, Guillen’s experience not just as a manager, but as a manager who previously brought a World Series championship home to the south side, could make him uniquely qualified to do it again.

While the White Sox struggled this year, they have significant talent on the roster going into 2023, with stars such as Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez in the outfield and right-hander Dylan Cease having just completed a breakout season in 2022 that will likely see him earn serious consideration for the AL Cy Young award. Still, many key players, such as Lucas Giolito, Yasmani Grandal, and Yoan Moncada struggled this season, and the Sox will likely have to count on improvements across their roster to return to the postseason in 2023, regardless of who ends up managing them.

Padres Interview Ozzie Guillen In Managerial Search

By Anthony Franco | October 26, 2021 at 10:59pm CDT

The Padres interviewed Ozzie Guillén last week as part of their ongoing managerial search, report Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link). Guillén joins Brad Ausmus, Mike Shildt and Luis Rojas as known candidates for the position.

Guillén’s sit-down with San Diego is his first known managerial interview since he was let go by the Marlins nearly a decade ago. The 57-year-old has continued to maintain interest in landing another shot over the years since, however. While he’s been away from the dugout, Guillén has spent time in the broadcast studio, working with ESPN and NBC Sports Chicago.

Of course, Guillén is far better known for his previous playing and managerial runs than for his days as a broadcaster. He played in the majors from 1985-2000, spending the bulk of his career with the White Sox. After hanging up his cleats, he moved into coaching and landed a managerial position rather quickly. Over the 2003-04 offseason, the White Sox tabbed the then-39-year-old to take over the dugout.

Guillén’s time on the bench was almost immediately successful. The Sox posted winning records in each of his first three seasons at the helm, including a 99-win campaign in 2005 that culminated in Chicago’s third World Series title — their first in 88 years. By 2007, the team had taken a step back. They rebounded to win another division title in 2008 but didn’t make the postseason again for the remainder of Guillén’s tenure. He was let go at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

The Marlins signed Guillén not long after, but his time in Miami proved very brief. Despite an ill-fated contention effort the prior winter, Miami stumbled to a 69-93 season in 2012. They dismissed Guillén after just one season, and he hasn’t been on a major league bench since then. (Guillén has managed professionally in Venezuela more recently).

In each of his two previous hiring cycles, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has tabbed a first-time skipper (Andy Green and Jayce Tingler, respectively). Chairman Peter Seidler has stated that previous managerial experience won’t be a prerequisite for this hiring cycle either, but the Friars’ publicly-known candidates have all managed in the majors before.

Shildt and Rojas were managers elsewhere this past season, while Ausmus managed as recently as 2019. Given how long it has been since he was last in a major league dugout, Guillén would certainly qualify as a more out-of-the-box candidate than the rest of that group. There aren’t many available options with his kind of resume, though, even if his best seasons are by now more than a decade in the past.

Managerial Notes: Mets, Phillies, Klentak, Bochy, Guillen

By Mark Polishuk | September 29, 2017 at 9:46pm CDT

David Wright and Jacob deGrom were two of several Mets players who weren’t pleased by the teammates who anonymously criticized manager Terry Collins in a recent piece by Newsday’s Marc Carig. “It was cowardly, in my opinion,” Wright told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. “I have been very fortunate in my career. I haven’t had too many gripes, but when I did, I went and talked to Terry or whoever the manager is. His door has always been open and he’s always listened.” It seems a foregone conclusion that Collins won’t return to manage the Mets in 2018, and the manager himself didn’t want to comment on many of items in Carig’s piece, other than to take exception to the idea that his usage of Jeurys Familia contributed to the reliever’s surgery to address an arterial clot in his right shoulder.

Some more managerial notes from around baseball…

“In my mind, we have reached a turning point in this rebuild,” Phillies GM Matt Klentak told reporters (including PhillyVoice.com’s Ryan Lawrence) about why Pete Mackanin was moved to a front office position rather than manage the Phils next season. “We see our roster right now is littered with young players who look to have a very, very bright future. It’s time to look forward. That’s the message today: it’s time to look forward.” In Lawrence’s view, Klentak’s answers were somewhat indirect, especially since Mackanin was just given a contract extension in May. Both Lawrence and Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer believe Klentak is now taking a larger role in the Phillies’ rebuild, given that several of the team’s top young talents were brought into the organization by previous (since fired) front office personnel. Brookover figures the new skipper will be younger and more analytically-minded, and he cites Dusty Wathan as “the smart choice” for the job since Wathan is so familiar with Philadelphia’s young players. Wathan has managed in the Phillies’ farm system for the last decade, including managing the Triple-A affiliate in 2017.
Sources close to Giants manager Bruce Bochy believe he’ll certainly stay on until his contract is up after the 2019 season, CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic writes. Despite the Giants’ dreadful season, there is no danger of Bochy being fired, and though the manager has undergone some health issues in recent years, Bochy is intent on righting the ship next year. “I want to leave the Giants organization better than when I came here and I want to get this team back on track. This is my passion,” Bochy said.
Ozzie Guillen hasn’t received an interview request since being fired by Miami four years ago, but the former Marlins and White Sox manager is still hopeful of another chance at managing a big league team, he tells Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Fenech believes Guillen would be an interesting candidate for the Tigers job as the club embarks on a rebuilding process, though it isn’t clear whether Guillen is one of the names under consideration for the job.

Cafardo’s Latest: Encarnacion, Jays, BoSox, Moore, O’s, Royals

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 9:36am CDT

Standout Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion is a pending free agent, and the division-rival Red Sox will have a designated hitter opening at season’s end if David Ortiz goes through with his retirement. The idea of the Red Sox signing Encarnacion in the offseason as Ortiz’s replacement has come up as a result, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the 33-year-old has some important fans in Boston. Manager John Farrell, bench coach Torey Lovullo and third base coach Brian Butterfield – all of whom were previously in Toronto – are Encarnacion supporters, which could factor into whether the BoSox pursue him. In regards to his future, Encarnacion offered, “We’ll see what’s going to happen. For now I’m with the Blue Jays and I’m just trying to contribute to us winning.”

Cafardo On Kapstein, Amaro, Mattingly, Zobrist, Kapler

By | October 31, 2015 at 8:58pm CDT

In his latest column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe discussed the role of former Red Sox advisor Jeremy Kapstein. Newly installed club president Dave Dombrowski did not extend Kapstein’s contract. The former player agent had worked with the Red Sox for 14 years as a senior advisor of baseball projects. Kapstein once represented a number of top players and was among the first to use statistics in arbitration cases. He’ll seek a new role elsewhere.

Here’s more from the column:

Freshly minted first base and outfield coach Ruben Amaro Jr. is already familiar with many of Boston’s outfielders. While with the Phillies, he pursued Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and prospect Manuel Margot in trade negotiations for Cole Hamels. Former Phillies closer Brad Lidge noted that Amaro was comfortable spending time in the clubhouse with players, so he should adjust well to his new role.
Don Mattingly is the Marlins eighth manager in the last six seasons. The last manager, Dan Jennings, was recently let go after he was told he would return to his former job as GM. The club owes him about $2MM. Mattingly is said to have agreed to a four-year deal although financial details have yet to be disclosed. Marlins fans may recall the four-year, $10MM contract signed by Ozzie Guillen prior to 2012. It serves as a warning to Mattingly that a long term of contract or high AAV will not ensure job security in Miami.
As reported earlier this week, Ben Cherington has joined the sports management program at Columbia University. That hasn’t stopped the Pirates from pursuing him for a front office role. Cafardo wonders if Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro might show interest too. In my opinion, the Blue Jays job might not be a fit since Cherington walked away from a similar situation in Boston.
One AL executive worries about Ben Zobrist’s age. “Ben is 35 years old. He keeps in great shape and does the job, but he’s not someone you’re going to devote big dollars to over a long-term deal.” Of course, his agent, Alan Nero, believes a three or four-year deal should be well within reach. Nero and the Royals have not discussed an extension.
The Orioles will bring back pitching coach Dave Wallace. According to a source, manager Buck Showalter asked him to stay. The Orioles pitching staff had a rough season after outperforming their peripherals for a few years. Free agent Wei-Yin Chen will be difficult to replace if he signs elsewhere. The club also has to carefully manage top prospect Dylan Bundy. He’s missed most of the last three seasons after making a couple relief appearances as a 19-year-old in 2012. He’ll be out of options.
Team sources label Gabe Kapler has the leading candidate for the Dodgers managerial job. Kapler “speaks the same language” as president Andrew Friedman and they have an established working relationship. While Kapler has not managed in the majors, he “drew rave reviews” while managing with the Red Sox Single-A affiliate.

Quick Hits: Guillen, Diamondbacks, Nava

By charliewilmoth | April 11, 2015 at 3:40pm CDT

White Sox executive Kenny Williams says baseball needs personalities like that of former manager Ozzie Guillen, Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago writes. “I think it misses personality and characters and a guy who has had as much success as he has and has much baseball knowledge as he has and has a desire to be in uniform and should be in uniform somewhere,” says Williams. “Hopefully he gets another chance to show it.” Williams and Guillen had their differences when Guillen was with the White Sox, of course. The White Sox allowed Guillen to depart for Miami, where his tenure as manager of the Marlins was brief and unfortunate. He hasn’t managed since, although he’s expressed interest in returning. He now is an analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Here are more quick notes from around the Majors.

Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart sees pitching as the key to improving the franchise’s fortune, the New York Times writes. “Everything depends on pitching,” says Stewart. “So as quickly as our young pitchers can mature is going to determine whether we contend or don’t. I know we’re going to hit and catch the ball. Those things are givens.” The Diamondbacks’ emergence will thus depend on young pitchers like Jeremy Hellickson, Rubby De La Rosa, and Archie Bradley, who makes his big-league debut today.
The Red Sox received inquiries about outfielder Daniel Nava this spring, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets. The team declined to trade Nava despite a surplus in their outfield, however, feeling that Nava was more valuable in a Red Sox uniform than on the trade market.

Marlins Fire Ozzie Guillen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 23, 2012 at 2:49pm CDT

Ozzie Guillen’s first season in Miami began with high-priced free agent additions, new uniforms, an eye-catching stadium and even a reality show. There was considerable optimism that this would be the Marlins' year. But after a 93-loss season that featured a controversy or two along the way, the outspoken manager has lost his job. The Marlins fired Guillen today, nearly three weeks after he managed his final regular season game with the team.

Guillen had three years and $7.5MM remaining on his contract with Miami. The Marlins, who acquired Guillen from the White Sox a year ago, finished the 2012 season 69-93, last in the NL East. They'll now seek a replacement for Guillen and complete the transition they've been mulling for weeks. Mike Lowell's name has come up in connection with the Marlins, but he won't be considered, the Miami Herald reported early in October.

Guillen made controversial comments about Fidel Castro early in April, as his team played to an 8-14 record. Later in the season Guillen and Heath Bell publicly debated the manager’s decision to remove Bell from the closer’s role. Bell has since been traded, but evidently the deal didn’t affect Guillen’s job security.

Guillen, a 16-year MLB veteran who made three All-Star teams as a player, managed the White Sox for eight seasons before joining the Marlins. He led the White Sox to a World Series title in 2005 and compiled a total record of 678-617 in Chicago.

Bench coach Joey Cora has also been dismissed, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

Marlins Still Weighing Leadership Changes

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 9, 2012 at 9:55am CDT

Not only is Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria deciding whether to fire manager Ozzie Guillen, he is considering restructuring his team’s front office, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. Loria probably won’t make a decision until the Marlins’ organizational meetings take place later in October.

Earlier this offseason, reports surfaced that the Marlins would dismiss president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and replace him with vice president of player personnel Dan Jennings. As of late last month, Beinfest's job appeared to be safe. Like Guillen, he’s under contract through 2015.

There’s a “very strong chance” Guillen returns, Frisaro reports. The Marlins haven’t decided whether to fire Guillen, but they’ve started considering possible replacements. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported last week that the Marlins are aggressively seeking a replacement for Guillen. Mike Lowell doesn’t appear to be a fit in Miami at this time.

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