The Chicago White Sox were active early last offseason, dealing reliever Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves as part of a six-player trade on Nov. 16. General manager Chris Getz said it’s too soon to tell how quickly the action will pick up this offseason.

The Chicago White Sox have reached an agreement to hire Will Venable, who spent the last two seasons as the associate manager of the Texas Rangers.

The Chicago White Sox officially announced Will Venable as their new manager Thursday. Venable, who turned 42 on Tuesday, has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract, the team said in a release.

Here's what we learned from Will Venable's introduction on Thursday, where we found out more about the hiring process and more.

New White Sox manager Will Venable wants Grady Sizemore, the interim manager for the White Sox at the end of last season, to remain on his coaching staff.

There is nowhere to go but up for Will Venable and the Sox, but there is also a lot of work ahead if they want to be contenders again anytime soon. Venable spoke with Jori Parys Friday.

Venable was active during the GM meetings in talks with Sox personnel and others from around baseball. One of his first orders of business will be finalizing his coaching staff. S