The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that shortstop Alika Williams was designated for assignment on Monday. The move was necessitated by the official signing of pitcher Tim Mayza, who agreed to terms on January 27. The Pirates must now try to work out a trade or simply lose Williams on a waiver claim.
We have signed LHP Tim Mayza to a one-year contract for the 2025 season.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@pirates.com) February 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
INF Alika Williams has been designated for assignment to make room for Mayza on the 40-man roster.
Our 40-man roster remains full.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 3, 2025
Alika Williams Designated for Assignment by Pirates
The Pirates acquired Williams in a June 2023 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up pitcher Robert Stephenson. Williams saw considerable action at shortstop from July 25 through the end of that season, as the Pirates sought a suitable replacement for the injured Oneil Cruz. However, the right-handed-batting Williams hit just .198/.270/248 in 46 games.
Williams seemed a long shot to make the squad out of spring training in 2024. Nevertheless, he went north with the Pirates (actually southeast; they opened the season in Miami against the Marlins) after the brass decided Nick Gonzales needed more work in the minors. Williams failed to seize this second opportunity, hitting .207/.242/.299, earning him a trip to Triple-A Indianapolis.
There have never been any questions about Williams’ defense. At shortstop, he’s been around major league average, with no Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA), two Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), and five errors in 61 games. In a smaller sample size at second base, he’s been charged with -1 FRAA and -1 DRS in 20 games.
This move won’t surprise close observers of the Pirates. Williams became expendable with the return of free agent infielder Adam Frazier, giving the Pirates a surplus of middle infielders. He faced an uphill climb to make the 2025 Pirates with Gonzales, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke, and Liover Peguero already on the roster besides Frazier. Williams had hit well at Indy, recording slash lines of .305/.384/.531 in 2023 and .311/.384/.396 in 2024. That bat never translated to the majors, however, and evidence is mounting that he may be a so-called “Quadruple-A” player.
The Last Word
Williams remains an attractive piece for a team looking for an infield depth option. That’s probably his ceiling as a major leaguer unless his hitting improves. But his defense is steady enough to be considered major-league caliber for a utility infielder. He turns 26 in spring training. His age and glove work should garner him another opportunity.
Photo Credit: © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The post Pirates Designate Shortstop Alika Williams for Assignment appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.