PITTSBURGH — White Sox manager Will Venable came into spring training and told the team what his non-negotiables were and about his pedigree, but that was the extent of his speeches this season.
Venable isn’t one to give lengthy speeches or get visibly frustrated. He largely remains the same guy with an even-keel demeanor that players gravitate toward.
The All-Star break is primarily looked at as a reprieve for players to recharge and reflect on the first half, but Venable used the break to self-evaluate his performance. One aspect Venable wants to improve on is monitoring his players’ workload. Venable’s laid-back demeanor belies an intense competitor.
Venable knew what he signed up for with the rebuilding franchise, but that doesn’t make the losing any easier. He said he’s in constant communication with the performance group, players, and coaches to be aware of when a player needs a day off and to weigh the risk-reward.
With most of the team’s young prospects on the major-league roster,showing second-half improvement is important for the next step of the Sox’ rebuild. They started strong with their first sweep of the season after Sunday’s 7-2 win, their first sweep since September 2024.
“It’s tricky,” Venable told the Sun-Times. “‘I’m learning more every day, keeping these guys tapped in and healthy and with energy levels is like a real priority. Sometimes, I was guilty of like, ‘Man, we’re not scoring any runs; we haven’t won in six days, and Miguel Vargas [who’s played 96 of 100 games] needs a day off, but I can’t give it to him.’
“Just understanding the compound effect of that and how that could affect him down the road is something that I’m negotiating and dealing with. I was able to recalibrate [during the All-Star break].”
When general manager Chris Getz fired Pedro Grifol, it was paramount that he got his first managerial hire correct. Disconnect grew in the clubhouse last season as losses mounted, culminating in Grifol saying in a May series against the Orioles that his team was “f—ing flat.”
Venable has largely been hands-off in the clubhouse. He leaves players to their routines and employs a straightforward approach when communicating with them. Recently, he stated that the team expected more offensive production from catcher Edgar Quero.
“It kind of gives us free rein to be ourselves and kind of express ourselves without someone on top,” right-hander Davis Martin told the Sun-Times. “We still have a long way to go, and there’s still some places that we want to go as professionals. Everybody here wants to go to the playoffs. Everybody wants to go and win a division. That’s a goal that maybe last year feels like a pipe dream. Now this year, it’s like we have the pieces; we have the group to do it in the coming years.”
It’s difficult to quantify a manager’s role in modern baseball as front offices exert more influence on day-to-day decisions. But Venable has shown so far that he’s adept at having the pulse of the locker room without being overbearing.
“How steady he is, it’s been all about the process,” left fielder Michael A. Taylor said of what has stood out about Venable. “No matter the result, he understands what we need to do to be a winning organization, and the focus has been on that since day one.”
Taylor said there’s anxiety that happens on the field, but that Venable “puts guys at ease and takes away some of the anxiety.”
The Sox have won three of their last four road series and improved to 7-9 in July after Sunday’s win. Though the Sox have been more competitive, there’s still room to improve, considering they’re 8-22 in one-run games and 4-14 in two-run games.
The Sox have already won more series (10) than they did all of last season (nine). Sweeping the Pirates is a strong start to the second half, but it’ll mean little unless the Sox can build off the series win.
“I’m proud of how our group responds to tough times,” Venable said. “Our ability to overcome adversity is just going to pay dividends down the road. [Overcoming adversity] is what is required of this league, and that’s how you survive and perform in this league.”