Chicago, IL – The Chicago White Sox confirmed on Saturday night that Mike Shirley, the team’s director of amateur scouting, has resigned. The club released a brief statement noting his departure but provided no further details.
Allegations and investigation
According to a report from The Athletic, Shirley, 56, was placed on administrative leave after the organization received an anonymous tip alleging that he made verbal comments of a racial and sexual nature while attending the Area Code Games in Long Beach, California, last month. The Area Code Games attract roughly 200 high‑school prospects hoping to impress scouts and MLB personnel.
The White Sox have not disclosed the findings of the internal investigation, and general manager Chris Getz has not publicly addressed the matter. The Athletic also noted that Shirley had previously been investigated in 2022 after a former employee reported that he treated scouts from “underrepresented groups” differently. That earlier inquiry did not uncover evidence of bias in his hiring or treatment of diverse personnel.
Shirley’s tenure with Chicago
Shirley began his association with the White Sox in a part‑time capacity in 2000 after a brief playing career as a minor‑league outfielder in the Cleveland organization. He rose through the scouting ranks, eventually signing future major‑leaguer Chris Getz in 2005. In September 2019, he was promoted to director of amateur scouting.
During his time as director, the White Sox selected several high‑profile players in the first round of the MLB draft. Notable No. 1 picks include left‑handed pitchers Garrett Crochet (2020), Noah Schultz (2022) and Hagen Smith (2024), as well as shortstops Colson Montgomery (2021) and Jacob Gonzalez (2023). The organization also drafted shortstop Billy Carlson (2025) and UCLA outfielder Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, who are expected to join the roster in the near future.
Recent roster moves
Gonzalez, who appeared in 30 games for Chicago earlier this season as a first‑base fill‑in for the injured Munetaka Murakami, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with pitcher Brandon Eisert. In return, the White Sox received pitching prospect Jaden Woods and future considerations.
In a separate transaction, Getz dealt Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox, acquiring four prospects, including catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery and infielder Chase Meidroth, all of whom have contributed to Chicago’s recent turnaround.
Team standing
Heading into the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, the White Sox sit at 76‑72, maintaining a 1½‑game lead in the American League Central over the Cleveland Guardians. The club has worked to reverse a pattern of losing at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons.
The organization declined to comment further on Shirley’s resignation, and Shirley did not respond to inquiries from The Athletic.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
