Chicago White Sox Fire Vice President Ken Williams, GM Rick Hahn

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CHICAGO -- The White Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn, effective immediately, the team announced Tuesday.

"This has led me to the conclusion that the best decision for the organization moving forward is to make a change in our baseball department leadership."

The White Sox ended the day with a 49-77 record, 16 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins, after losing 6-3 to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

The organization went through a stated rebuild in the past decade, culminating in playoff appearances in both 2020 and 2021, but won a total of only two postseason games during those years. The White Sox went 81-81 last season before cratering this year amidst dysfunction within the clubhouse.

Williams was with the team since 1992, working his way up in various roles, including general manager. He oversaw the team that won the 2005 World Series before being promoted to executive vice president in 2012. That's the same year the team promoted Hahn to general manager.

In a statement issued later on Tuesday, Williams thanked White Sox fans for going "out of their way throughout the years to offer support and encouragement" and thanked the team for the opportunity to have a longtime leadership role with the White Sox.

The White Sox ended the day with a 49-77 record, 16 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins

Hahn also issued a statement of thanks, saying in part: "I cannot thank enough the gifted coaches, scouts, analysts, sports performance professionals, and front office staff for their tireless work and dedication to the Club. Because of them, I firmly believe that many vital ingredients of a championship team are in that clubhouse and within the minor league system."

The team failed to make the postseason those first five years under Hahn before embarking on a rebuilding effort not long after the Cubs did the same on the other side of town. The White Sox's rebuild produced a trove of young talent, but the parts were always better than the sum as they failed to find balance within their lineup or produce a good defensive team.