Williams Jr., a speedy outfielder, was drafted in the sixth round in 2008 and became a problem when former manager Ozzie Guillen felt son Ozney should have been picked higher in a later draft. It helped sour the relation between Guillen and Williams Sr.
Rick Hahn, just hired as Ken Williams's replacement on the south side after Williams Sr. was promoted to Executive Vice President of the White Sox, has made his first trade: dealing Ken Williams Jr. away to the Rockies.
It's a logical move in light of Williams's five unproductive seasons in the minor leagues (30 RBIs in Double A last year, though!) and, at the same time, a mystifying move in that it was freighted with meaning, and took an executive's son-hanging on to his minor league job, it'd seem, largely through nepotism, and dealt him to an organization not beholden to him in any way. As the first trade of Hahn's tenure.
Williams Sr. likely signed off on the trade, which only makes it more confusing-as if he'd been biding his time for five years, sure that getting rid of his son was the right strategy for the White Sox's minor league system, and finally convinced his successor to pull the trigger on the deal when he had the cover of a new title. A strange way to usher in Rick Hahn, and even stranger way to wave goodbye to Williams Jr.