CHICAGO — A new era in the front office for the White Sox is already underway, and Chris Getz is beginning to build it as the 2023 season comes to a close.

On Friday, the new general manager made three hires official, including a person he’ll work closely with as he starts a new era in the franchise.

The team announced that Josh Barfield will be the assistant general manager with Brian Bannister as the senior advisor to pitching while Gene Watson joins the franchise as the director of player personnel.

“We are very pleased to add Josh, Brian and Gene to our baseball operations decision-making and leadership group,” said Getz in a statement released by the team. “All three are highly respected baseball executives who bring different backgrounds, accomplishments and points of view to our department.

“Josh is a real rising front office star, Brian is recognized as one of the top pitching minds in the game, and Gene is acknowledged as one of the best talent evaluators in baseball. I am excited for them to get started working together as we define our new vision for the future and create a path to success for the White Sox organization.”

The 40-year-old Barfield comes to Chicago after nine years in the Diamondbacks organization. He was the director of player development for the last four years after serving as the assistant to that position in 2018 and 2019. He began his time with Arizona in scouting from 2015-2017.

A second baseman in his playing days, Barfield played in 209 major league games with the Padres and Cleveland.

Bannister arrives with the White Sox after four years as the director of pitching for the Giants. Before that, he was with the Red Sox organization, starting in 2015 as the director of pitching analysis and development. He transitioned to the Boston coaching staff as an assisting pitching coach in 2016 and was on the staff for the Red Sox 2018 World Series championship team.

Some White Sox fans would recognize the name of his father, Floyd Bannister, a pitcher on the club’s American League Western Division championship team.

Coming to the club with 25 years of scouting experience, Watson has spent most of the last 17 years, with the exception of a stretch in 2021 with the Angels as a senior advisor to the general manager.

Arriving in Kansas City in 2006, Watson had a variety of different roles in the Royals’ scouting department. Most recently, he was the vice president of major league scouting, but was also a scout, coordinator of pro scouting, anddirector of pro scouting.