White Sox announce major changes to coaching staff

The White Sox have announced the following four coaches will not return in 2026:

• Pitching Coach Ethan Katz
• Hitting Coach Marcus Thames
• First Base Coach/Outfield Coach Jason Bourgeois
• Catching Coach Drew Butera

“While we greatly appreciate all that Ethan, Marcus, Jason and Drew have done for the organization, Will [Venable] and I have agreed on the very difficult decision to make several changes to our coaching staff in 2026,” said GM Chris Getz in a press 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.”

In addition to the above moves, Major League Offensive Coordinator Grady Sizemore will be offered an unspecified role in the organization if he opts to stay. On the minor league side, Triple-A manager Sergio Santos will not have his contract renewed.

Venable, who completed his first season as the team’s manager, inherited much of the staff when he took the job. Of the departing names, perhaps the most significant is Katz, who has served as the team’s pitching coach since Don Cooper was fired in 2020. Brought in as part of Tony La Russa’s initial staff, Katz previously served in the Giants organization and was highly regarded by those who worked with him in Chicago. As for the three other coaches, all were holdovers from Pedro Grifol’s staff.

Searches to fill the open slots on the coaching staff will begin immediately, the team announced.

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