White Sox announce coaching changes for 2026 season

The White Sox announced Monday evening they will not renew the contracts of pitching coach Ethan Katz, hitting coach Marcus Thames, first base/outfield coach Jason Bourgeois and catching coach Drew Butera.

Grady Sizemore, who served as offensive coordinator in 2025 after moving on from the interim manager role for 45 games in ‘24, will be offered a role within the organization for '26. During a recent interview with MLB.com, Sizemore said he hadn’t talked to manager Will Venable about his future position, with a focus on finishing strong this past season.

“We transitioned to the younger guys and it’s good to get those guys the experience and time. I definitely like what I’ve seen from that young core,” said Sizemore. “It's been fun just kind of getting to know them, work with them and try to get them some experience.”

Katz had been the White Sox pitching coach since 2021, working alongside senior advisor to pitching Brian Bannister, while Thames served as hitting coach in 2024-25, with Ryan Fuller added this year as director of hitting. Bourgeois held his position in 2024-25, and Butera has been the Sox catching coach for the past two seasons.

"While we greatly appreciate all that Ethan, Marcus, Jason and Drew have done for this organization, Will and I have agreed on the very difficult decision to make several changes to our coaching staff in 2026,” said general manager Chris Getz, in a statement from the staff change release. “Our respect for these coaches as people and as professionals made these decisions difficult, and we thank them for their many contributions. Our commitment remains to provide the best possible vision, ideas and resources to our players to support their continuing growth and development.”

According to the release, searches to fill the open slots on the coaching staff begin immediately.

"Decisions about the coaching staff are incredibly difficult because these are friends and teammates who have been through all the moments and trials alongside you,” Venable said in the same release. “I cannot thank each of them enough for the hard work and professionalism they brought to the ballpark daily. Ultimately, we have short-term and long-term goals and objectives for this organization and this team.

“Our responsibility is to put our players in the best position to grow and succeed, and that means always considering how our staff can best support the growth and success of our players. These choices are never easy, but they come from a deep commitment to giving our players the very best chance to reach our potential together.”

Despite finishing with a third straight 100-loss season, the White Sox won 60 games and improved from the start of the season to the end. They have top prospects such as Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Shane Smith, Grant Taylor and Chase Meidroth in place, looking for more consistent success in 2026 beyond the rebuild development.

The White Sox also elected not to renew the contract of Sergio Santos for 2026. Santos managed Double-A Birmingham to the ‘24 Southern League title, managed Triple-A Charlotte this season and built up strong bonds with these top young players. He found out the news this past weekend from the organization.

“I obviously thoroughly enjoyed my time in the White Sox organization,” Santos told MLB.com Monday night. “Built some really good relationships. Had some special players in my two years over there and I wish the White Sox and all those players nothing but success.”

Santos, 42, managed in the Florida Complex League and at High-A Hudson Valley for the Yankees before coming to the White Sox, where he once was a standout closer at the big-league level from 2010-11. He intends to look for managing/coaching opportunities.

“Correct. Everything happens for a reason, and I tell my players this all the time: When one door closes, another inevitably opens,” Santos said. “Just hoping it’s a good opportunity and I can make the most of it. It’s funny, I have notebooks that I wrote in my first year managing and I still have my newest notebook. It’s cool.

“I go back and kind of read through them. The maturation process, I can see myself growing each year after reading my notes in my book. I’m just hoping to continue to grow, get better and go from there.”