White Sox hire away SF Giants director of pitching Brian Bannister

The SF Giants will have to replace director of pitching Brian Bannister after he was hired away by the Chicago White Sox.

As the SF Giants set to embark on a crucial offseason full of expected change and reevaluations, the first domino has fallen in the way of a personnel transaction. Brian Bannister, the organization’s director of pitching, will reportedly depart San Francisco’s coaching staff for a spot in the Chicago White Sox’s front office, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

New Chicago #WhiteSox GM Chris Getz has quietly made a slew of shrewd hires for his front office:
Josh Barfield (leaving the #Dbacks)
Brian Bannister (leaving the #SFGiants)
Gene Watson (leaving the #Royals)

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 20, 2023

Aside from Bannister, the White Sox continued to revamp their front office by adding Josh Barfield from Arizona and Gene Watson from the Royals. The turnover comes amid a rough year in the Windy City with Chicago once again failing to live up to lofty expectations, resulting in the firings of longtime executives Ken Williams and Rick Hahn. Former big league second baseman Chris Getz was promoted to vice president and general manager of the club.

Bannister, 42, is widely regarded as one of the more innovative pitching minds in the game and was hired by the Giants in December 2019 following a four-year stint in the Boston Red Sox front office.

Under his analytically savvy approach, Bannister has been a key member of San Francisco’s pitching staff that has garnered a legitimate reputation as a premier location for flawed pitchers to make the most out of their strengths, or just simply rediscover themselves. He’s also said to have a big influence on the minor league system, having a say in the organization’s draft strategy in recent seasons.

Since Bannister's arrival, the Giants have excelled in various pitching categories across MLB. They boast the sixth-lowest ERA (3.81), lowest FIP (3.72), fourth-lowest xFIP (3.90), third-lowest BB/9 (2.75), third-lowest K/9 (3.15), and lowest HR/9 (0.97).

In 2022, Bannister worked remotely for the entire season because of his choice not to comply with MLB’s vaccination policy. As a result, the Giants created a way for him to participate virtually with pitchers.

“He felt like he could hang in there,” manager Gabe Kapler told The Athletic before the 2023 campaign. “It’s best for us that he did because he’s very helpful in our pitching process. And it’s best for him, because I think we’re the right environment for him.”

Bannister’s reported move to Chicago may not be the only personnel shift. The SF Giants have been constantly contacted about the availability of their coaches –– Former hitting coach Donnie Ecker was pulled away from the Texas Rangers following the 2021 season and pitching coach Ethan Katz joined the White Sox in 2020. Before the 2022 season, the Giants blocked pitching coach Andrew Bailey from interviewing for a vacancy with the New York Mets. Now with the organization at a crossroads, it’s possible more coaches could be poached by teams who can offer more job security.

Before entering coaching, Bannister, a seventh-round pick from the University of Southern California, pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. He earned a third-place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2007, trailing behind Dustin Pedroia and Delmon Young. The right-handed pitcher ultimately retired from baseball in 2010.