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Report: White Sox to promote Williams, Hahn

KANSAS CITY -- White Sox general manager Ken Williams will be promoted to the team's vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager Rick Hahn will take over as general manager at the conclusion of the season, according to a report by USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

"Our mission is to keep the focus on the field each and every day," Williams said via text message when asked about the report. "There is nothing more important than today's game, keeping distractions away and winning the division. Any future issues will be dealt with at the appropriate time."

The club had no other comment on the report. Williams is in his 12th season as Chicago's general manager, a tenure that includes a World Series championship in 2005. He is the fourth-longest tenured GM in baseball, behind only Oakland's Billy Beane, New York's Brian Cashman and Colorado's Dan O'Dowd.

Hahn is in his 12th season with the organization. In recent years, he has topped the lists of multiple publications ranking the top general manager candidates in baseball.

Vinnie Duber is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.