White Sox add former Angels manager to front office
12/23/2024 02:43 PM
After missing out on the Chicago White Sox managerial job this offseason, Phil Nevin is joining the South Siders as a special assistant in the franchise’s player development department, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Monday.
Nightengale added that Nevin will focus on “a number of player development roles, including amateur scouting for the 2025 Draft.” The White Sox will pick tenth overall in the 2025 MLB Draft after finishing a dismal 41-121 in 2024.
Nevin comes to Chicago off a two-year stint as manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2022 and 2023, where he went 119-149, failing to make the playoffs either season. He was reportedly a finalist for the White Sox manager job before the organization hired former Texas Rangers associate manager Will Venable.
A former No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick, Nevin spent more than a decade in the Major Leagues before starting his MLB coaching career in 2017 as first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. He also spent four years as third base coach for the New York Yankees before heading to Los Angeles, where he became interim manager after the club fired Joe Maddon.
With Chicago, Nevin will reunite with three members of his Angels coaching staff. Bullpen coach Matt Wise, hitting coach Marcus Thames, and catching coach Drew Butera are all on staff with the White Sox.
The prospects Phil Nevin will evaluate with the White Sox
The 2025 MLB Draft isn’t until next July, but since the order was determined at the annual winter meetings, mock drafts have been cropping up in every corner of the internet.
With Nevin playing a major role in scouting, he will look to make the most out of the White Sox’ first-round pick.
MLB Pipeline released its first mock draft on December 10, where it expects Chicago to take lefty high school pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft is just 17 and reclassified to be part of this year’s draft class. Also a first baseman, MLB.com calls him “a legitimate two-way standout” who hits 97 with his fastball and has above-average power at the plate.
Bleacher Report also did a mock draft around the time of the lottery announcement, projecting the White Sox to select Auburn catcher Ike Irish. He hit .325 with a .408 on-base percentage in the Cape Cod League this summer, further legitimizing the 1.030 OPS he put up for the Tigers last season. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter adds that Irish is still developing defensively as a catcher.
Granted, an entire high school and college season still needs to play out before the next draft, so prospect rankings and projections can still swing wildly.
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