Chad Pinder Named Manager of White Sox Triple-A Affiliate Charlotte Knights

Chad Pinder spent 11 years playing professional baseball, appeared in 553 major league games across seven seasons with the Oakland A's, and retired less than three years ago after a final Triple-A stint with the Atlanta Braves in 2023. The Charlotte Knights did not need a long résumé to sell them on him as their next manager.

The Chicago White Sox named Pinder, 33, manager of their Triple-A affiliate on January 22, succeeding Sergio Santos. The promotion is a three-level leap: Pinder managed the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in 2025, his first year in any managerial or coaching role, and posted a 64-68 record before working with older White Sox prospects in the Arizona Fall League that fall. Less than a year later, he was being introduced at a Charlotte press conference.

Pinder is a Poquoson High School and Virginia Tech graduate who majored in Communications and was drafted by the Athletics in 2013. He now lives in Charlotte with his wife Taylor and their two children, ages 5 and 2, a detail Knights Executive Vice President and COO Dan Rajkowski pointed to directly. "Chad's professional experience, both as a player and a manager, as well as his familiarity with the Charlotte community makes him a natural fit," Rajkowski said.

The philosophy Pinder outlined going into the role centers on removing the weight from his players rather than adding to it. "It's not about me and not about the staff," Pinder said. "It's about the players and what we're doing for the organization to put them in great situations to grow." He added: "I put that at the forefront, and I think the players see that we're just trying to create an environment where the guys come to work every single day, have an opportunity to put their best foot forward and play free."

That framing extends to how Pinder views Triple-A itself. Charlotte is the final stop before the major leagues, and Pinder is explicit that arriving there does not mean the work is finished. "I firmly believe in development," he said. "It does not stop. It doesn't stop when you get into the big leagues. We're here in Charlotte. We can continue to develop, and we can continue to get better and prepare ourselves for the next level."

His 2026 staff includes pitching coach Scott Aldred and first base and catching coach Ángel Rosario, both returning from last year's Knights staff, joined by hitting coach Cam Seitzer, bench coach Pat Listach, strength and conditioning coach George Timke, and athletic trainer Carson Wooten.

Pinder's own Triple-A experience as a player included International League time at Rochester and Gwinnett before his final season with the Braves. He knows the level from the inside, and the White Sox are betting that perspective, combined with what they saw from him in Kannapolis and the Arizona Fall League, translates into preparing their top prospects for the jump to Chicago.