Chris Getz had discussions in the past with Paul Janish pertaining to potential opportunities with the Chicago White Sox.

For years, Josh Barfield tried to hire Janish with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Now that we have come together, Josh (as assistant general manager) and I (as GM), we finally were able to bring Paul in to help us build a championship club,” Getz said during a video conference call Thursday.

The Sox hired Janish as the director of player development. The former big-league infielder spent the last six years at Rice.

“I really enjoyed my time at the college level but have always aspired to get back to the professional level in some capacity,” Janish said. “It’s hard for me to convey how much of an aligning of stars that this opportunity is for me, personally, and my family.”

Janish takes over the role previously held by Getz, who became the general manager on Aug. 31.

“The farm director position is a unique role that touches a lot of parts of the organization that I’m really excited about,” Janish said. “And having the opportunity to do it with Chris and Josh above me, having done the job in different capacities prior, is super appealing to me because it gives me the opportunity to plug into a situation where they’ve got a pretty good vision on what they want and me having the opportunity to learn from them and implement some of my own thoughts and ideas about how we can all collaborate in a productive way.”

Janish, 41, played parts of nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2008-11), Atlanta Braves (2012-13) and Baltimore Orioles (2015-17), appearing in 473 games.

“I had the good fortune of, relative to the level, not being that good of a player, so I had to really pay attention to what was going on,” Janish said with a smile. “And over the course of time, in the minor leagues and the big leagues, it was something that I was super intentional about, relationships, understanding the dynamic between coaches and players.

“It was a different lens that I looked through, being for the majority of my playing career a utility player at the big-league level. It just provides a lot of opportunity to communicate with people in a different way, and that’s going to play in this position as well.”

Getz said Janish’s understanding of what it takes to be a professional “is vital when you’re relating to both the players and staff.”

“He understands the journey that it takes as an amateur player to navigate the minor leagues and be successful at the major-league level,” Getz said.

After playing, Janish joined Rice as an assistant coach in August 2017. He served as associate head coach the last two seasons.

Getz said Janish’s path from playing to coaching at Rice to the Sox will provide “a very unique perspective.”

“The responsibility at college now — because of the recruiting, transfer portal, NIL, administrative tasks that are in front of you in that position — I think is going to transfer well to what the farm director responsibilities are,” Getz said.

Janish stressed the importance of communication throughout the organization.

“I do think it’s important for everybody to feel important,” Janish said. “At the end of the day, that’s going to be the aspiration. That’s a big part of the college level. The 18- to 22-year-old, communication with that age group is very much the same way, a lot of different variables that come into play that you wouldn’t even expect.

“It’s going to be more of the same but in a different way, at a more professional level, and I look forward to it.”

Hendriks named AL Comeback Player of Year

White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks on Thursday earned American League Comeback Player of the Year honors at the 2023 Players Choice Awards. Hendriks was recognized for his return after battling stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks disclosed the diagnosis and began treatment in January. He announced he was cancer-free in April.

The Players Choice Awards are voted on by players from each league.

()

It might not be the contract announcement most figured would be next, but the Chicago Bears got a deal done Thursday.

Nose tackle Andrew Billings signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract extension, meaning the run stuffer will be with the organization through the 2025 season.

“We’re extremely excited to be able to keep Andrew in Chicago,” general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “The professionalism, dependability and toughness he brings to our defense exhibit the type of player we want in our organization.”

Poles indicated confidence Wednesday in his ability to sign newly acquired defensive end Montez Sweat to an extension, and he also spoke at length about the negotiating process with cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Those remain front-burner issues, but re-upping with Billings ensures a big part of this season’s defensive improvement will remain in place.

Billings’ presence has been one key reason coach Matt Eberflus’ defense has improved dramatically against the run. The Bears ranked 31st in the league a year ago, when they surrendered a franchise-record 2,674 rushing yards (157.3 per game). They enter Week 9 ranked third versus the run, allowing only 78.8 yards per game.

The Bears signed Billings to a one-year, $2.75 million contract in free agency, and he said a few weeks ago that he was comfortable with the situation and could see himself staying with the Bears. The team approached him about starting talks on an extension a few weeks back, and the deal was finalized Wednesday and signed after meetings Thursday morning.

“I came here for a reason,” Billings, 28, said. “I was happy with the first deal. It was a surprise and just all good things.”

Billings will be able to suit up for the same team in consecutive seasons for the first time since his first four years in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals (2016-19).

He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2020 but opted out because of COVID-19. The Browns cut him loose in 2021, and he hopped around the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs practice squads before playing for the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

“It’s really special,” he said. “It’s Year 8 for me. Just being able to settle down, it’s something I’ve been working for my whole career.”

()

The hitters who occupied the top three spots in the Orioles’ lineup more than anyone else are all Silver Slugger Award finalists.

On Thursday, catcher Adley Rutschman, infielder Gunnar Henderson and outfielder Anthony Santander were named American League finalists for an honor that recognizes the top offensive performer at each position. Henderson, who split his time at shortstop and third base, is a finalist for the utility award.

The Silver Slugger winners will be announced next Thursday during a 6 p.m. telecast on MLB Network.

In his first full major league season, Rutschman, 25, hit .277 with 20 home runs, an .809 OPS and 92 walks against 101 strikeouts. Rutschman led the other finalists, Kansas City’s Salvador Perez and Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, in hits, doubles, walks, average, on-base percentage and OPS.

The 2019 first overall draft pick is also a finalist for the AL’s Gold Glove Award for catchers. The only Orioles catcher to win a Silver Slugger was Mickey Tettleton in 1989.

Henderson got off to a slow start to his rookie year before taking off. The 22-year-old ended the year with 28 home runs, tied with Cal Ripken Jr. for the second most by an Orioles rookie, to go with a .255 average and an .814 OPS.

His fellow candidates are Los Angeles’ Brandon Drury, Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes and Toronto’s Whit Merrifield. Henderson ranked second among them in home runs and OPS, trailing Paredes in both metrics. The utility honor was introduced last year; an Orioles infielder was last a Silver Slugger recipient in 2013 when first baseman Chris Davis and shortstop J.J. Hardy both won.

Santander, 29, is a finalist in the outfield for the second straight season, joining Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, Texas’ Adolis García, New York’s Aaron Judge, Chicago’s Luis Robert Jr., Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez and Houston’s Kyle Tucker. Three will be named winners, with no separation by specific outfield position.

Santander’s 95 RBIs led the Orioles, while his 28 home runs tied Henderson for the team lead, but he ranks outside the top three among the outfield finalists in those measures. Cedric Mullins was a Silver Slugger winner in 2021 after his 30 home runs and 30 steals season, while Mark Trumbo (2016) and Adam Jones (2013) have also won the honor as Orioles outfielders.

()

For the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Cubs have three players named Gold Glove defensive award winners in a season.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner won his first National League Gold Glove award Sunday night while shortstop Dansby Swanson and left fielder Ian Happ both won the second of their career coming in back-to-back years.

He is the fourth Cubs shortstop to win the award after Javier Báez (2020), Don Kessinger (1969 and 1970) and Ernie Banks (1960).

Hoerner, a finalist in 2020, is the fourth Cubs second baseman to win the award, joining Darwin Barney (2012), Ryne Sandberg (nine times, last in 1991), Glenn Beckert (1968) and Ken Hubbs (1962). He teamed up with Swanson as one of the best middle infield duos in the majors, fittingly earning them both hardware.

“There’s no ball (Hoerner) feels like he can’t catch and make a play on,” Swanson told the Tribune. “And there will be times he dives and makes a play and can’t get the throw off and he’ll get (mad), but the fact (he) even got to the ball … that’s one thing that makes him a great defender.”

Swanson’s defensive wizardry was as advertised during Year 1 in Chicago, a big part of why the Cubs signed him to a seven-year, $177 million contract last offseason. His 20 Outs Above Average (OAA) led all players this year and his 18 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) were the most among MLB shortstops and also tied him for fifth among all positions.

More traditional stats favored Happ’s Gold Glove award candidacy. His 12 outfield assists topped all big-league outfielders and the 253 putouts he tallied were second-most for NL left fielders.

For the White Sox, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was the team’s only Gold Glove finalist but it was the Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Kiermaier who won for the American League at that position.

Chicago native Alek Thomas was a National League finalist for center field for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but lost to Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies.

Gold Glove finalists are determined by a combination of 75% voting among managers and coaches and 25% use of a proprietary metric known as the SABR Defensive Index (SDI).

Now that the winners have been announced, a combination of fan voting and SDI will determine the Platinum Glove winner from each league. Those winners will be revealed at the Gold Glove award ceremony on Nov. 10.

Also on Sunday, the Cubs announced they exercised the 2024 team options for starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks and catcher Yan Gomes. Hendricks remains the longest-tenured Cub on the roster.

()