Former Giants outfielder Mac Williamson, designated for assignment for the second time this season by the club last Saturday, went unclaimed on waivers and has elected free agency, Maria Guardado of mlb.com tweets. Williamson previously reported to the team’s AAA affiliate after the first DFA, where a three-week hot streak led to a fifth opportunity with the big club, but this time has decided to test his luck on the open market.
The 28-year-old Williamson – he’ll be 29 next month – was a post-draft favorite in 2012 after being selected in the third round out of Wake Forest. Already 22 at the time of the draft, Williamson’s slow crawl through the minors – injuries often set him back – still had him lingering in Double-A by the time his 25th birthday rolled around.
His first three Triple-A forays, occasionally interrupted by month-long stints with the big club, were mediocre at best – Mac, in fact, seemed on verge of release after an especially poor 2017 showing with Sacramento. A swing change the next season reaped dividends, though, and Williamson seemed primed to seize the everyday left-field job for San Fran after a hot early-season ’18 start. Hopes were derailed when a collision with a wall near the bullpen mound in SF’s Oracle Park resulted in lingering concussion symptoms, and Mac could never quite recapture his early-season sizzle upon return.
2019 hasn’t been kind to him – the 6’5 righty managed just a 14 wRC+ (86 percent below league-average) in 57 plate appearances with the club before his designation. It’s unclear which, if any, clubs will be interested, but Williamson should get a Triple-A opportunity if so inclined. Perhaps a Japanese or Korean team – clubs notoriously interested in the so-called “Four-A” sluggers, many of which, admittedly, sport more impressive AAA numbers than does Williamson – will come calling, though the overseas market is never easy to predict.
Seems like the type of guy who will sign with the Yankees and rake for them. All of us Giants fans will miss you, Mac!
Will we? He really never amounted to much. If you’re missing someone who can’t hit…they’re on NBCSN right now. Top of the third.
And they’re winning aren’t they? Jump off the bandwagon the same way you likely got on in 2010.
1) Beating the 2019 Orioles is … not hard.
2) The 2019 Orioles beat the 2019 Giants yesterday.
CCCTL I’m not saying it’s a major accomplishment. He was telling me to go watch a team that doesn’t know how to hit….in the middle of a game where they are hitting….
As a Giants fan I almost would have preferred a loss. Horrible series against Arizona and then Miami. At least if Baltimore ran over them also then I could sleep at night knowing the Giants are the best at losing
Ooh! Just saw this. A terrible retort. Almost as terrible as all those extra inning night games I went to as a kid at Candlestick. Before I got on the bandwagon in 2010. He didn’t produce. ByeBYE
I don’t understand my fellow SF fans’ love for this guy. He choked on the big stage, big time. They gave him endless opportunities and he just couldn’t deliver. Look at what Yaz 2.0 has done as soon as he got a chance. Maybe it won’t last, but he’s 28 and knows he’s gotta deliver now. Mac never seemed to play with the same urgency.
F$;)& Mac
Good luck, Mac. Hopefully a change of scenery provides different results at the major league level
Long Island time
Maybe Williamson will sign with a Japanese or South Korean team. He has the right talent level for Asian baseball.
Or maybe he won’t.
Our conversation right there was a recap of the final takeaway of this article, unfortunately.
An outfielder released? I’m sure the Giants will pick him up and give him a try.
Oh, wait…
The Giants can’t want him, he isn’t a backup catcher. 😉
Seems like an Alex Dickerson type, tons of upside but the darn injury bug for the Pads. Ugh! Wish the guy the best of luck!
Was really rooting for this guy. Seems like SF just ruins hitters. I would not be surprised to see him go to another club and as the first post said “rake”. Good luck Mac!
One of the better ‘almosts’
Scott McClain part 2?
Good luck, Mac. Keep your head up.
Gary Brown = STRIKE ONE !
Jarrett Parker = STRIKE TWO !!
Mac Williamson = STRIKE THREE !!!
Giants = YOU’RE OUT of Outfielders !
This article misses a lot of context. The Giants’ OF woes have really been going back a long time. Occasionally they get buoyed by a Pat Burrell and Andres Torres in 2010, a PED-enhanced Melky Cabrara for 90 games in 2012, consecuative 162-game years by Hunter Pence in 2013-2014 and Andrew McCutchen for 2/3s of 2018. Other than that, good performances have been few and far between. And even players who’ve had some good but not great years, like Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco also had poor years. Hunter Pence was good in 2015-16, but only player 158 games between those two years and was bad in 2017 and 2018.
Beyond that the Giants have played an absolutely bewildering number of players in their OF and quite the bizarre selection at times. And while it’s easy to say Mac Williamson didn’t do much to earn more than the 105 starts he got split up between five seasons, that’s out of a possible 1400 starts. Many of which were taking up by players who both did even less to “earn it” and many who probably should have never gotten them to begin with. And just like the Old Regime, the New Regime has the “grass is always green” mentality. Even when they find out time and again what looks like a nice grassy field is actually a field full of standing water that’s had green slime grow over it.
This is really good analysis and summary of SFs outfield over the years. Thanks for posting. It just seems that for a long time it’s been almost an afterthought. I’m sure that’s not the case but that’s how it seems.
Dude you display no knowledge of the sport and if the team’s finances. If you had any sense, you would not post such dribble.
I think somebody already mentioned this, but his skillset screams Asia. I’d be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t have an offer worth a pro-rated $1.5 m to play the rest of the season overseas, with the possibility of an extension in the $3m range (assuming he plays as he would be expected to play in Asia).
Konichiwa, Mac.