White Sox name Marcus Thames hitting coach, complete staff

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The White Sox have rounded out their coaching staff for the 2024 season.

Marcus Thames becomes the third Sox hitting coach in three seasons, and he joins assistant pitching coach Matt Wise, first base and outfielders coach Jason Bourgeois, catching coach Drew Butera and major league coach Grady Sizemore as new names on manager Pedro Grifol’s staff.

Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, pitching coach Ethan Katz, third base and infield coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar return, Tosar with a new title.

This will be Thames’ fourth team in the last four season as hitting coach. He follows Frank Menechino (2020-22) and Jose Castro, who was fired after the season.

A left fielder and designated hitter with four teams from 2002-11, Thames was hitting coach for the Angels in 2023, the Marlins in 2022 and Yankees from 2018-21.

Sizemore, a two-time Gold Glove outfielder and three-time All-Star with Cleveland from 2006-08, began working as an adviser to Cleveland’s player development department in 2017, and was a coach for the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks in 2022.

Bourgeois, 41, spent the last five seasons in the Dodgers organization, including the outfield and baserunning coordinator from 2021-23.

Butera, 40, a former major-league catcher, was Angels catching coordinator last season and a bullpen catcher in 2022.

Thames, 46, was a .246/.309/.485 hitter with 115 homers for the Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, and Dodgers. As a Yankees rookie in 2002, Thames became became the 17th player to hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues — against the Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson. He began his coaching career with the Advanced-A Tampa Yankees in 2013.

Tosar, who served on the coaching staff as major-league field coordinator last season following three seasons (2020-22) as a special assignment hitting coach in the Royals organization, worked with hitters last season as one of three voices in that capacity.

The Sox removed assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson from the staff after one season as well and offered him a job in the farm system. Johnson might catch on with the Washington Nationals, however.

Bullpen coach Curt Hasler was also reassigned.