White Sox, Robin Ventura agree to multiyear extension

Last offseason, when the White Sox presented Robin Ventura with the idea of a contract extension, Ventura didn't see much of a point.

Ventura is entering the second year of the three-year contract he signed in October of 2011. But when the White Sox went to him this winter and offered a one-year contract extension, Ventura said "no."

This isn’t to say that he won’t manage after his current contract expires. He’s just not ready to commit to anything past it.

"You can see doing it longer, I think there’s also a point where it needs to be somebody else," Ventura said Tuesday in an interview with Comcast SportsNet. "I think you can either burn out or people stop listening to you, or that affect goes away. When that happens, then it’s time for somebody else to do it."

Normally, a 63-99 season would only have an adverse effect on job security, but the White Sox don't operate by traditional measures. They do, on the other hand, like making announcements at the start of SoxFest. So, as the three-day convention begins this afternoon, the Sox and Ventura announced a multiyear extension to get the party started.

The terms have not been released by the club, but I imagine we'll hear about it in a couple hours. The press release did include quotes from Ventura and Rick Hahn.

"Jerry, Kenny, Robin and I have had many conversations about our objectives in both the short and long term," said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. "We are in complete agreement with the direction and vision for this organization in 2014 and beyond. I have great confidence that Robin’s leadership and direction will help us reach our goals, and there was never really any question in our minds as to who we wanted in the White Sox dugout now and into the future."

"We have been on the same page since day one, but I’m very happy to have this behind us so we can continue to keep our focus on the playing field," said Ventura. "I’m excited about the direction of the club and the moves we have made this offseason, but there is still a lot of work to be done so I think we’re all ready to get to spring training and get started."