Chicago White Sox will need a new manager in 2023

With reports coming out that Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will officially announce his retirement on Monday, the final few games of 2022 will also have thoughts of what lies ahead in 2023 intertwined within them.

As Tony La Russa reportedly steps down, the Chicago White Sox are looking ahead

It was reported nearly a week ago that La Russa would not be back for the 2023 campaign, despite the Hall of Famer having a year left on his contract. The news was not a complete surprise, given La Russa’s health (which forced him to be away from the team as it made its final, but failed, postseason push) and the failure of the White Sox to repeat as American League Central champions. The 77-year-old La Russa said back in mid-September that he was “unsure” of when or if he would be back in the dugout.

With La Russa sidelined by health (including having a pacemaker put in, as he told the Associated Press), Miguel Cairo took over as the interim manager, and sparked the team for a short time. However, since La Russa stepped away on August 30, Chicago is 15-15, entering Sunday’s action at 78-80 and in second place in the AL Central.

The question now turns to who will take over the team in 2023. Cairo is likely to be on the list, along with others. Which direction the franchise will turn will be interesting to watch with $144.5 million of veteran-laden contracts already on the books for next season (per Spotrac).

Reliever Liam Hendriks, one of those veterans coming back in 2023, told reporters (including Call to the Pen) in mid-September that La Russa’s health was the biggest concern for the team at that moment. With the pressures of returning to the dugout now reportedly in the past, La Russa can focus on that while the White Sox pivot to how the team can bounce back in 2023.