The White Sox add to the front office, bringing in long-time Rays executive Carlos Rodriguez as new Assistant GM.
The Chicago White Sox are making another addition to their front office, finalizing a contract with Carlos Rodriguez to become an assistant general manager.
Rodriguez spent the last 15 years with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, beginning as an international scout before eventually taking over that department. From there, he rose into a front-office leadership role, serving as an assistant general manager.
So how did the White Sox land him? Rodriguez recently stepped down from his role in Tampa Bay to pursue new opportunities — and his new job in Chicago will come with a wide-ranging set of responsibilities.
The White Sox already employ two assistant general managers in Josh Barfield and Jin Wong, and neither is going anywhere. Rodriguez will hold the same title, but his role will be distinct.
According to James Fegan of Sox Machine, Rodriguez will touch nearly every aspect of the organization. Fegan writes that his role will include “aiding the build-out of the White Sox’s new academy in the Dominican Republic, enhancing the team’s relationships with players and agents, and helping manage 40-man roster decisions.”
This is a sound, forward-thinking move from the White Sox — and one that mirrors the structure used by the most advanced front offices in professional sports, particularly in the NFL.
While the general manager retains final say over roster-building decisions, surrounding that position with experienced executives from successful organizations helps ensure that internal processes are sound and aligned with long-term priorities.
It’s not just difficult — it’s unrealistic — for a single GM to oversee roster construction, amateur and international scouting, player development, agent relationships, and major infrastructure projects like building a new academy in the Dominican Republic.
That workload has to be distributed among trusted baseball minds. Rodriguez fits that mold.
The Rays have long been considered one of baseball’s gold-standard organizations. Their year-to-year win totals don’t always jump off the page, largely because they operate with one of the lowest payrolls in the sport. Still, Tampa Bay consistently fields competitive teams by maximizing analytics, player development, and scouting.
Since 2008, the Rays have posted 12 winning seasons and made nine playoff appearances despite lacking the financial resources of their AL East division rivals. Much of that success can be traced back to their ability to identify, develop, and replenish talent.
Rodriguez has learned from some of the best in the game, and Tampa Bay has credited him with strengthening both player development and international scouting efforts.
This is a welcome and encouraging hire for the White Sox.