The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of outfielder Mason Williams. To create roster space, infielder Jace Peterson was designated for assignment.
Williams was expected to come onto the active roster for the month of September, but needed to be added to the 40-man. A host of other players that already held 40-man spots are also heading for the big-league dugout: lefty Ty Blach, catcher Austin Wynns, and righties David Hess, Evan Phillips, and Chandler Shepherd.
Once a well-regarded Yankees prospect, the 28-year-old Williams got his first extended chance at the majors last year with the Reds. He produced at close to the league-average rate offensively but was outrighted at season’s end. Williams has spent the entire season to this point with the Orioles’ top affiliate, slashing .308/.371/.477 with 18 home runs in 494 plate appearances.
As for Peterson, he has struggled since the O’s summoned him to help fill out the position-player mix. The six-year MLB veteran carries a .220/.269/.330 batting line in 108 trips to the plate on the season.
Nothing makes you contemplate retirement like getting DFA’d by the Orioles in September.
LOL.
I laughed way too hard at that.
I remember the first few weeks of the season journeyman quadruple-A catcher Jesus Sucre had a 4 for 4 day against the Yankees and I wondered where they scrounged this guy up- DFA’d like another two weeks later.
Then there’s Chris Davis….
True, but the story of the Orioles this year has been a team that, believe it or not, has outperformed expectations — at least from their position players. Former Yankee prospect Hanser Alberto has been really good for the Orioles, as has Pedro Severino, Jonathan Villar and a few others. It’s their pitching that has really been terrible, even with a great season from John Means and a good one from Andrew Cashner (who has not been good since he got traded to the Red Sox). But even the terrible pitching seems to have taken a bit turn for the better lately.
Hanser Alberto was a Yankee from Nov 18 to Jan 19. He is a former Ranger prospect. Just saying
Noted. Either way he’s been unexpectedly good for the O’s
The fact that he has had 1500 mlb ab is pretty amazing.
Yankees really got the most out of him!!!
I don’t mean to sound mean with this, but to me, Mason right now seems like an poor man’s Tommy Pham, in a way.
he does kinda have the feel of an early-career Pham, minus a few stolen bases.
…and he plays a mean guitar……allow me to pass some (classical) gas…….
I thought that was Bernie Williams
Williams certainly earned this shot over Peterson. Not sure why it took this long to make the switch. We’ve been playing patchwork CF’s for months now. Williams is a legitimate defensive CF. I’m not expecting him to take the job and run with it but he’s at least a CF.