White Sox search for one decision-maker to lead baseball-operations department

So now what?

With Ken Williams and Rick Hahn jettisoned as executive vice president and general manager, respectively, on Tuesday, who will be in charge of the White Sox’ front-office operation?

All that’s known is chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, 87, will begin a search for a single decision-maker to lead the baseball-operations department. He will have his guy by the end of the season.

The Sox have two assistant general managers — minor-league operations and player-development director Chris Getz and Jeremy Haber, both 39. Getz is in his seventh year overseeing a farm system that hasn’t distinguished itself but is well-respected in the organization, and Haber, who plays a key role in contract negotiations and payroll management, is in his 11th year in the organization, including nine as assistant GM.

Strong sentiment around the league, as well as from some within the organization, exists for even more drastic change that would bring a completely fresh perspective from outside the organization. But it’s possible Reinsdorf aligns a setup with someone like former Royals general manager Dayton Moore as the top guy and Getz — who worked under Moore, 56, in the Royals’ front office — as GM in a similar setup as the Bulls with Arturas Karnisovas as director of operations and Marc Eversley as GM. Moore is the Texas Rangers’ senior advisor of baseball operations.

It’s also a possibility that manager Pedro Grifol, the Royals’ former bench coach, is given another chance in the dugout despite the Sox’ dismal performance under his leadership in the first year of a three-year contract.

“Of course I think about it; we’re all human, and we all love what we do,” Grifol said after the Sox’ 6-3 loss to the Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field, their eighth defeat in the last 10 games.

“I’m not going to get caught up in it because I have a responsibility to those guys in there to do a job, to prepare to win a game. We’ll see where it goes.”

Watching Hahn and Williams, who hired him, exit was “shocking,” Grifol said. “Two great men lost their jobs. It’s unfortunate. All of us in that room are responsible for that.

“Like I said to the club, when you start the season with expectations, unfortunately, we get paid to perform.”

Said left-hander Aaron Bummer: “It’s on us to do our own job. We weren’t able to do it as we would have liked.”

“The expectations were that we were going to compete, and we didn’t,” first baseman Andrew Vaughn said.

“It really stinks. Two great men [lost their jobs].”

This and that

Williams and Hahn, who were not available to talk after they were fired, were seen on the field and in the clubhouse Tuesday before the game.

• Mike Clevinger, who entered with a 1.83 ERA in his last eight starts, allowed four runs in five innings, walking four and allowing six hits, including a home run by Josh Rojas. He left trailing 4-1.
• Shortstop Tim Anderson returns Wednesday from his five-game suspension for his involvement in the benches-clearing brawl Aug. 6 in Cleveland.