Kenny Williams talks making trades

Merkin:

“It can keep you up at night — all night, day after day after day after day,” said Williams with a laugh. “But that’s because you understand the ramifications of how it’s each little piece that fits into the puzzle is so important. It can mean the difference between you realizing your dreams or not.

“Whether it was Freddy Garcia, Jake Peavy, Alex Rios, or whomever, Geoff Blum, Carl Everett — pick a name. It’s still the same feeling, because I place as much of an importance on that small piece as I do the big pieces.

“But I’m long past the inner gut-wrenching stuff that goes on. I’m certainly more readily able and better equipped to turn the page if I don’t get the player I’ve coveted for a while. Years ago, it stayed with me for years. You can only do what you can do. Put forth your greatest effort and make sure all the people around you do the same. At the end of the day, man up to the consequences.”