New White Sox first base and outfield coach José Leger's hiring process began in the sort of formalized fashion that has become common among Will Venable's assistant coaches.
"The first approach came from my previous GM Chaim Bloom," Leger said. "He called me and said the White Sox were interested in interviewing me for the first base coach position, of which I accepted right away."
Leger, 43, is a baseball lifer who has managed in the minors and is currently helming Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican winter league, but had never had a major league opportunity before. He recalled watching Venable up close as a player since the Sox skipper had his own LIDOM tenure, felt their first conversation went great, and Leger sounds like he'll fit with Venable and Chris Getz's emphasis on pre-pitch movement and secondary leads when he extolls the importance of the first reaction and anticipation, and also quite correctly saw this as an exciting promotion.
Then there's field coordinator Chris Denorfia, who is not only a rarity on the staff for having a previous personal connection with Venable, but one that would stand out in most environments.
"it's kind of rare when you get to actually work with one of your best friends, so it's an opportunity I'm not taking lightly," Denorfia said.
Such that when Venable was hired last year, Denorfia said he gave his friend the sort of pledge that probably made his interest clear, even if it offered an out.
"The day he got this job when I congratulated him, I said, ‘I want to take this off the table. I will never ask you for a job. I don’t want to put that strain on our friendship.’" Denorfia recalled. "I told him, 'If you ever have a need for me, I will be there for you in a heartbeat, but just know that I’m never going to ask you for a job.' I just think that friendships are too rare, especially in baseball long term. I didn’t want to put that in jeopardy.
"I told him when I got the job, ‘If you ever need to have a tough conversation with me, just know that this will be kept professional at that level and there will be separation.’"
By Denorfia's description, Venable and the White Sox started working to fill that need within the last week, with their new field coordinator interviewing and receiving an offer over a two-day period, rounding out a staff that had otherwise seemed mostly complete for weeks. Leger affirmed that he will be overseeing baserunning and outfield defense just as his predecessor did, whereas Denorfia said his focus will extend beyond defensive work (he was most recently the Rockies outfield and baserunning coordinator) to video analysis and designing practice structure.
And as Denorfia started explaining how his field coordinator title means a lot of different things in different organizations, and how his role could evolve over the course of the season, he wound up settling on a specific example.
"There could be some video work to it with pitch-tipping or any tips I can get," Denorfia said. "I like to say once you start viewing the game through the lens of that manner, when you start looking at these little tells that players are giving you, whether it's a pitcher or catcher, it really kind of changed the way I view the game. So maybe just a different set of eyes with a different focus could give us a little edge on the day-to-day and the game planning and how we go about winning every day."
Every major league coaching staff ever has strove to both find and conceal tips and tells, but the spoken emphasis is notable, especially if the new first base coach winds his way toward the topic in his own introductory Zoom, some 15 minutes later.
"On the basepaths," Leger begain. "It’s anticipating, it’s understanding tips and tells from the opposition. It’s learning what the situation is bringing to them. It’s going to be my job to be in their ears and right behind their shoulders reminding them, 'Hey this is what we need to do, this is what we’re anticipating.' I think preparation is the key."
The Padres officially announced on Wednesday that their 2026 dugout will have 18 assistant coaches in it, upstaging the Sox and showing what true staff inflation looks like. But the White Sox are still putting a big emphasis on their need to mine the value out every detail. When asked what from his time together with Venable in the Padres outfield he expects to draw from, Denorfia noted a shared organizational reality.
"If there's one thing about those teams, it was that we did not have large payrolls back then," Denorfia said. "What the Padres are doing now, we didn't even know was possible. I think my first year there, our payroll was about $29 million for the entire team.
"So, it's basically trying to get the most out of all the players that you have. And especially for a young, and up-and-coming team like this White Sox team is, there's a lot of development still to be had. We don't really know what these guys are capable of yet and that's super exciting because they're all so talented as is. And with that much more room to develop and grow, it's an exciting time to be part of the White Sox."
Recent developments have led to White Sox fans hearing the phrase "organizational infrastructure" more than they would likely care to, with no signs of abating. Many might retort that for them to agree that it's an exciting time to be associated with this team, it needs to show up more on the field. For this younger-tilting staff, most of whom are getting their biggest major league opportunity of their career to date, the need for immediate progress is shared.
"I’m going to be open to helping in any capacity that they need me," Leger said. "If I’m asked about something that is not within my job responsibilities, I’m going to be more than open to help. At the end, we’re all pulling in the same direction. We’re trying to help the White Sox win games and have a great, productive season."
