The Chicago White Sox are hiring Texas Rangers coach Will Venable as their next manager, sources familiar with the situation confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday evening.

Venable, 42, played nine years in the major leagues before transitioning to an off-field role as a special assistant with the Chicago Cubs in 2017, and then as starting coach for them from 2018 to 2020. He was Boston’s bench coach in 2021 before he was hired by Texas, where he served as associate manager alongside Bruce Bochy for the past two seasons.

He spent most of Venable’s playing career in San Diego before being traded to the Rangers in 2015. He played for the Dodgers in 2016 before retiring.

Venable hit .249 with 81 home runs in 967 games, playing exclusively in the outfield.

Venable replaces interim manager Grady Sizemore, who was also a candidate for the permanent job. The White Sox fired former manager Pedro Grifol in August as the team broke a modern record for losses this season with 121.

The White Sox have steadily declined since winning the division in 2021. A 101-loss season in 2022 cost former general manager Rick Hahn and team president Kenny Williams their jobs, while former owner Jerry Reinsdorf hired former White Sox player Chris Getz to head the team’s baseball operations.

Over the past year, Getz has turned over the front office and has now hired his first manager, a respected longtime player and coach.

Venable becomes the 42nd manager in franchise history. He was chosen from a long list of candidates, including Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz, Padres special assistant AJ Ellis, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCollough and Sizemore, who was popular with players during his brief interim stint.

MLB.com first reported Venable’s expected hiring. An announcement was expected before the GM meetings, which start next Tuesday.