From Chicago Sun-Times · · 3m
White Sox scouting director quits amid probe
The man behind seven White Sox drafts is suddenly gone, and the team will not say why.
In brief
The man behind seven White Sox drafts is suddenly gone, and the team will not say why. Mike Shirley, who ran the White Sox draft board for seven years and picked Garrett Crochet and Roch Cholowsky, resigned Saturday while under internal investigation for alleged verbal harassment. Originally reported by Chicago…
He is out
The White Sox announced Saturday that amateur scouting director Mike Shirley resigned and is no longer with the organization.
No comment from the club
A team spokesperson pointed to a standing policy of not discussing personnel issues. That is all the Sox have offered publicly.
“It is the White Sox organization's policy to not comment on personnel issues.”
He was already on leave
Multiple league sources told the Sun-Times that Shirley had been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation before the resignation.
What the probe was about
A New York Times report said the internal investigation concerned allegations of verbal harassment.
Silence on what comes next
The Sox have not explained the nature of the departure or said who will run amateur scouting. Shirley did not return a call seeking comment.
A 25-year Sox lifer
Shirley joined the organization before the 2000 season and took over the amateur scouting department after the 2019 draft, running seven drafts in all.
The draft board he built
His picks include Garrett Crochet in 2020, Colson Montgomery in 2021, Noah Schultz in 2022, Grant Taylor in 2023, and Hagen Smith and Caleb Bonemer in 2024.
He just took Cholowsky
Shirley recently oversaw the selection of Roch Cholowsky with the first overall pick, making the exit land harder.
Scouts were stunned
Given how well the top of recent Sox drafts has turned out, the news was met with surprise across the scouting industry.
The last stable corner
Chris Getz has churned the front office since being promoted to general manager late in 2023. Shirley and assistant Garrett Guest were the one pair left untouched.
Richards finally sits still
Trevor Richards, 33, has thrown 68 innings for his sixth organization since a mid-2024 trade from Toronto. A 3.71 ERA has made him a useful middle-leverage arm.
Availability is the skill
Richards threw 61 pitches of mop-up work in an Aug. 24 blowout and got dugout high-fives for it. He absorbs innings so younger relievers do not have to.
“Sometimes I say 'Don't do what I'm doing.'”
Pham needs more time
Tommy Pham is eligible off the 10-day IL on Sunday but is not ready. Will Venable said the calf and Achilles still need strengthening before full speed.
“He's confident and hopeful that it won't be long.”
A platoon hole opens
Without a second right-handed bat behind Randal Grichuk, Venable has started catcher Edgar Quero against lefties. Quero is hitting .156/.242/.273 versus southpaws this year.
What to remember
Mike Shirley, who ran the White Sox draft board for seven years and picked Garrett Crochet and Roch Cholowsky, resigned Saturday while under internal investigation for alleged verbal harassment.
