CLEVELAND — As the White Sox stumble horribly out of the gate, an unwanted light shines on the manager only 11 games into the season.
Pedro Grifol, in the second year of a three-year contract, has his hands full with a roster that not only wasn’t built to win but was projected to lose 100 games. And that was before the Sox traded Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. And before their only star, center fielder Luis Robert Jr., went down for weeks with a torn hip flexor a week into the season.
Designated hitter Eloy Jimenez is also on the injured list, and third baseman Yoan Moncada is likely to join them after suffering a strained left adductor in the Sox’ 7-5 victory Tuesday against the Guardians that ended a five-game skid and raised their record to 2-9.
Grifol’s job gets more impossible by the day, and it’s not clear where he stands with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who, as one always unwilling to pay for fired coaches and managers, knew the Sox’ record at midseason in 2023 was worthy of cleaning house when he parted ways with vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn. But Reinsdorf wanted to wait at least a year to fire Grifol so as not to absorb so much dead money, a source said.
That came as something of a surprise to general manager Chris Getz, who took over for Hahn and Williams in the front office in August and met the team on the road Tuesday.
‘‘That’s a message that never got to me,’’ Getz said Tuesday. ‘‘Jerry really likes Pedro.’’
He later added, via text: ‘‘There is absolutely no truth to the claim made by an unnamed source in a news report earlier today. It’s simply not true. We all continue to be focused on maximizing the potential for this team and turning this around as soon as possible.’’
After the game, Grifol addressed the situation by saying: “Chris and I have a really good relationship; we talk all the time. Jerry and I speak from time to time. I’m glad [Getz is] here so he can see the team in person and see the clubhouse and see how we’re doing things. I’m glad he made this trip.’’
There is a school of thought among Sox higher-ups that Grifol might prove to be a good manager but shouldn’t have been hired when the team was in a competitive window entering 2023, coming off a .500 season managed by an ailing Tony La Russa and with a roster that was built to win but not pieced together well by Hahn and Williams.
That was probably a time to go after Bruce Bochy or another proven manager rather than one with no experience.
In any case, Grifol — even with a team that cut payroll and is dealing with big injuries — will be watched in his second season.
‘‘Obviously, we’re in a tough stretch right now,’’ Getz said before the game. ‘‘Unfortunately, it’s right out of the gate, which certainly no one wants to do. Coming over here and spending time with Pedro, the staff and players, I’d like to think there’s some benefit in that.
‘‘When you go through struggles, it’s a character reveal for players and staff. You’ve got to dig deep sometimes and stay positive, and this staff is [full of] professionals [who] have been in this game awhile, whether it be on the player or coaching front.
‘‘It’s a test of leadership, at times, but they’re a resilient group. They’ll continue to work and continue to create a positive environment for our players to want to show up and get better.’’
Contributing: Joe Cowley
