Chicago White Sox Hire Former Slugger as Hitting Coach For 2024 Season

Thames had been serving as hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels. It makes sense that he would want to move on given the uncertainly in that organization. With a new manager coming in for 2024, all coaches from Phil Nevin's staff could have been replaced. Evidently, Thames didn't want to take the chance.

He'll join a White Sox team that is in the midst of a rebuild. Coming off a 100-plus loss season, the Sox finished fourth in the American League Central and had the third-worst record in the AL. They also just let franchise cornerstone Tim Anderson go by declining his club option.

Thames will get the chance to work with superstar Luis Robert and slugger Eloy Jimenez, who make one of the best power-hitting duos in the AL. It's also possible that the Sox get active on the free agent market in order to get back into contention quicker.

In addition to the Angels, he has served as a hitting coach for the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins.

As a player, Thames spent 10 years in the big leagues with the Yankees, Tigers, and Dodgers. He hit a career-high 26 homers in 2006 and was part of a Tigers team that made the World Series that year.