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Bob Nightengale of USA Today is reporting that this offseason:
White Sox GM Kenny Williams [will be] promoted to vice president of baseball operations, with assistant Rick Hahn becoming the GM.
Williams would neither confirm nor deny the report, telling Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune via email:
No one's 2013 status, not even mine, will be discussed while we are singularly focused on winning a Championship and more immediately, tonight's game.
Such a reshuffling, however, has long been rumored to be in the White Sox' long-term plan. As recently as the end of last season, speculation abounded that Williams might be given the proverbial kick upstairs in favor of Hahn.
The White Sox have groomed Hahn as Williams' likely successor. Jerry Reinsdorf both loves and rewards loyalty and Hahn has rejected several general manager job opportunities over the past few years.
Whether warranted or not, Hahn is considered far more friendly to sabermetrics than Williams, though he is by no means beholden to just one approach to player evaluation. In interviews and conversations, Hahn certainly comes across as someone well-versed in all aspects and approaches to analysis.