MLB Rumors: Top 3 Candidates To Replace Tony La Russa As White Sox Manager

Tony La Russa is done, as we reported yesterday, set to announce his retirement on Monday. The Chicago White Sox need to regroup for 2023, with a new manager their prime offseason task. 

This is a plum job, with plenty of elite talent on the roster, so there'll be no shortage of candidates. Let's have a look at one list of the top candidates to replace Tony La Russa for 2023:

1. Bruce Bochy

Bochy is a three-time World Series champion manager. having led the San Francisco Giants to titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He supposedly retired after the 2019 season. However, the managerial bug apparently hasn't left his system, as he'll be managing France in the qualifying rounds of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

The 67-year-old is still considered one of the top managerial candidates in baseball.

2. Joe Maddon

The 68-year-old made it clear after the Los Angeles Angels fired him earlier this season that he wants to continue to manage. “Of course I want to manage,” he told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic hours after the firing. “I’m really good at it.”

Maddon is the man who ended the Chicago Cubs' 108-year World Series jinx in 2016. He also did so much with so little in his years in Tampa Bay. He's got the aura of a manager who can do magic. However, he couldn't make things work with a Los Angeles Angels team that featured Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. And he left some scorched earth behind lately when discussing the Angels.

3. Mike Shildt

Shildt, 54, was shockingly fired as the St. Louis Cardinals' head man last year after three consecutive playoff appearances. He had a 252-199 record as their manager, but seemed to be at odds with the front office philosophy. He's currently the San Diego Padres' third base coach. 

There are many other candidates for the White Sox job, both outside and inside the organization, some of whom will emerge in the weeks to come. 

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