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Jerome Williams

Quick Hits: Cardinals, Urena, Orioles, Brignac

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There hasn’t been many rumblings linking Nicholas Castellanos to the Cardinals this offseason, though one rival executive suggests to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) that Castellanos would be a better answer to the Cards’ outfield needs than Marcell Ozuna.  We’ve addressed the Castellanos/Ozuna debate ourselves in a recent Free Agent Faceoff, though from the executive’s standpoint, Castellanos is preferable for St. Louis since he isn’t attached to any draft pick compensation.  If the Cards were to re-sign Ozuna, they’d miss out on the compensatory draft pick they are slated to receive if he signed elsewhere, since Ozuna rejected the qualifying offer.  Signing Castellanos, however, would both upgrade the St. Louis outfield and still leave the Cardinals in line for the extra pick.

On the flip side, the Cards’ apparent lack of interest in Castellanos may signal that they simply prefer Ozuna, who is both a comparable talent and is a more known quantity to the Cardinals’ staff and front office.  Recent reports suggest that the Cards, Reds, and Rangers are all still in the mix for Ozuna, while Texas also has some interest in Castellanos, but perhaps only as a first baseman.  Along with Josh Donaldson, Castellanos and Ozuna are the headliners of a rapidly-depleted free agent crop as we approach the middle of January, and it will be interesting to see which clubs (perhaps a known suitor or a mystery team) wind up with these big bats.

Some more from around baseball…

  • Richard Urena was recently acquired by the Orioles on a waiver claim, though the infielder could have theoretically ended up in the black and orange five years ago, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes.  When the Blue Jays considered the possibility of trading prospects to Baltimore as compensation for hiring Dan Duquette out of his contract as the O’s executive VP of baseball operations, Kubatko notes that Urena was one of the names the Jays offered.  Talks never went anywhere, however, and Toronto instead hired Mark Shapiro as its new president and CEO in mid-2015.  As for Urena, he stands a good chance at winning a bench job in Baltimore, as the Orioles were in need of a backup shortstop option behind Jose Iglesias.
  • Another Orioles move could also be on the way, as Kubatko reports that the team is close to adding an experienced catcher.  It’s probably safe to assume that this will be a minor league signing, as the Orioles already have a fair amount of catching depth with Chance Sisco, Pedro Severino, and Austin Wynns lined up behind the plate.
  • The Mets announced earlier this week that former infielder Reid Brignac will manage the single-A Columbia Fireflies in 2020.  This will mark the first managerial or coaching gig for Brignac, who retired in mid-2018 following a 15-year playing career.  Brignac appeared in 369 Major League games over parts of nine seasons, suiting up for six different teams but seeing most of his action (256 games) with the Rays from 2008-12.  Brignac will have a couple of other familiar names joining him on Columbia’s staff, as Jerome Williams was named the new pitching coach and Mariano Duncan will be the Fireflies’ new hitting coach.

Jerome Williams Retires

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Longtime major league hurler Jerome Williams has retired, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter links). Williams is now at the Winter Meetings interviewing with teams for a coaching job, according to Fenech.

Now 37, Williams hasn’t suited up for a major league team since 2016, when he threw 17 1/3 innings with the Cardinals. Williams spent parts of the past two seasons pitching in Venezuela, Mexico and with the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League. However, the right-hander did enjoy a long career in the majors, during which he recorded a 4.59 ERA across 1,029 2/3 innings (236 appearances, 149 starts) and amassed at least 100 frames in seven seasons. Known for sporting a puka shell necklace and a pink glove, Williams nobly used his time in the spotlight to raise awareness for cancer in honor of his mother, who passed away of breast cancer in 2001.

A first-round pick of the Giants in 1999, Williams was their top-ranked prospect twice (in 2000 and ’01) and was also among baseball’s 50 best farmhands three times (2000-02), according to Baseball America. Williams debuted in San Francisco in impressive fashion in 2003, when he put up a stingy 3.30 ERA and totaled 2.0 fWAR over 131 innings and 21 starts, though he wasn’t able to replicate that success over the rest of his career.

After Williams’ effectiveness dipped in his second and third seasons, the Giants traded him (and David Aardsma) to the Cubs in 2005 for reliever LaTroy Hawkins. That was the first in a long line of big league transactions Williams was part of, though it was the only trade involving him. Along with the Giants, Cubs and Cardinals, Williams pitched for the Nationals, Angels, Rangers, Astros and Phillies at baseball’s highest level. The nomadic Williams also took the mound in pro leagues in Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Long Beach, Calif.

MLBTR congratulates Williams on an interesting playing career and wishes him the best in his attempt to join the coaching ranks.

Cardinals Sign Jerome Williams

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The Cardinals have added veteran righty Jerome Williams on a minor league deal, GM John Mozeliak tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispact (via Twitter). He can earn at a $2MM rate if and when he reaches the majors, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).

Williams seemingly waited to sign after undergoing a procedure on his Achilles tendon. He’ll now begin working towards making the Cardinals the eighth team with which he’s seen major league action. Williams will start out with the club’s top affiliate.

For St. Louis, Williams represents a swingman option. He has exceeded 100 innings in each of the last three seasons, and may be the type of steady piece needed for a staff has shown some cracks. Williams scuffled to a 5.24 ERA last year with the Phillies, but had carried a 4.54 earned run mark (with 6.1 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9) in the 466 innings he threw over the prior four seasons.

Free Agent Notes: Fowler, Gallardo, Mets, Williams

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MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince takes a crack at identifying the likeliest landing spots for outfielder Dexter Fowler. He likes the White Sox, Angels, Cardinals, Rangers and Cubs as the most plausible destinations. Castrovince ticks through a few other possibilities, including the Indians, who he says may not be able to afford the veteran. But Cleveland has a pretty significant need for an outfield bat, and I wonder if the team could squeeze him in with a backloaded contract structure. It’s worth recalling, too, that the organization has found money late in the offseason previously, although it’s also true that the remnants of the resulting deals (with the since-traded Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher) make for a fairly significant payroll constraint at present.

Let’s check in on a few other free agents that have yet to sign:

  • The Rockies aren’t “especially aggressive” at present in their pursuit of free agent righty Yovani Gallardo, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. He had previously suggested that Colorado may be a finalist for Gallardo’s services, but now says it is not clear how serious the club is about chasing Gallardo. The veteran remains the most established starter left on the market.
  • The Mets are still interested in adding to their bullpen, but probably not at the price that Tyler Clippard is likely to command, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter. Puma previously tweeted that New York was keeping an eye on Tommy Hunter, but was not looking to go past a one-year deal. Hunter, though, has been looking for more.
  • Righty Jerome Williams will miss time early in the year after undergoing a procedure on his Achilles tendon, Cotillo tweets. The 34-year-old hurler has logged better than 100 innings in each of the last four seasons, and could still hold appeal as a swingman/depth option.

Jerome Williams Feels At Home With The Phillies

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Last offseason, Jerome Williams was on the shelf for quite a while as he waited to find out where his next home would be.  The veteran had just turned in a career-high 169 1/3 innings for the Angels in 2013 and even though his core stats weren’t stellar, the advanced metrics indicated that he would have had a much better ERA with some luck on his side.  Ultimately, Williams was left in limbo until February when he signed a one-year deal with the Astros with $2.1MM guaranteed.  All in all, that offseason experience is one that the 33-year-old is glad to have in his rear view mirror.

“It was kind of nerve racking.  Going through a season where I was with the Angels and I felt like things would have gotten done earlier, I proved to people that I could [start and pitch out of the bullpen] at that time.  I was the only pitcher that had 25 starts and ten relief appearances, I think I was thinking at that time that people would come out and offer me something and it didn’t happen.  It was kind of nerve racking but we got it done and that’s all that mattered,” Williams told MLBTR in the Phillies’ Clearwater clubhouse.

Even though he was biting his nails a bit, Williams says he wasn’t phoning agent Larry O’Brien to get constant updates.  The Full Circle Sports Management rep has been in the field for more than 30 years and, as Williams put it, “he knows what he’s doing.”  Indeed, O’Brien was relentless in his efforts to find a suitable deal for Williams and eventually he found a solid one-year platform for him to showcase his talents.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in Houston and the next stop in Texas wasn’t fruitful, but he found success with the Phillies when he landed there in August.  In nine starts for Philadelphia, Williams pitched to a 2.83 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 across 57 1/3 frames.  After ending the year on a high note, Williams jumped at the chance to skip the free agent process and stick with the Phillies with a one-year, $2.5MM contract extension.

“This was a no-brainer for me,” Williams explained. “Playing with them for the couple months I was with them, it was a no-brainer.  The atmosphere, the guys in the clubhouse, the city, it was a no-brainer to come back.”

Williams credited his Philadelphia battery mates Carlos Ruiz and Wil Nieves for his improved performance to close out the year.  His comfort level with the Phillies also helped matters.  With seven different major league stops over the course of his career, Williams knows what he likes in a clubhouse and what he would rather avoid.

“I like being here because everybody treats everybody like family.  When I came in, I was a new guy but I’ve been a long time and I knew a lot of the veteran guys here, so that made the transition a lot easier.  I started talking to Jimmy [Rollins], Chase [Utley], I played with Chase in the [Arizona] Fall League, I played against Marlon [Byrd], I played against A.J. [Burnett], so it’s like, whoa, I know these guys.”

“Just seeing the younger guys mature, it was like a family, so that’s what the clubhouse is all about.  This is your domain, this is our family, this is our place.  So if we can be one as a family and as a unit, we can do things together,” Williams said.

Family is a concept that’s hugely important to Williams.  In honor of his late mother who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2001, he’ll once again be donning a multitude of colorful gloves to raise awareness for different forms of cancer.  Williams’ top choice is pink in recognition of his mother, but he’ll also be mixing it up with four different colors to put the spotlight on prostate, pancreatic, liver, and childhood cancers.

After a stress-free winter and a productive spring, Williams is eager to take the mound in April and build on his strong performance at the close of 2014.  If all goes according to plan, Williams won’t find himself waiting around for a call next winter either.

Phillies Extend Jerome Williams For 2015

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The Phillies have signed righty Jerome Williams to a one-year, $2.5MM contract extension that will keep him off the free agent market in advance of the 2015 season, the club announced. The contract includes incentives that could boost its value to $4MM, per Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter).

Williams, who is nearing his 33rd birthday, was quite productive in a short stint with the Phillies this year. Over nine starts for Philadelphia, he logged 57 1/3 frames of 2.83 ERA ball. Of course, that was his third MLB club on the year, and Williams did not put up very attractive numbers in his first two stops with the Astros and Rangers, combining for a 6.71 ERA over 57 2/3 frames.

All said, Williams finished 2014 with 6.4 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9, while posting a cumulative 4.16 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, and 4.03 SIERA. Those numbers provide some reason for optimism, though the Phillies may hope that five better rotation arms emerge from the spring, allowing them to stash Williams as a long man.

Phillies Claim Jerome Williams, Designate Sean O’Sullivan

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The Phillies announced that they have claimed right-hander Jerome Williams off waivers from the Rangers and designated fellow right-hander Sean O’Sullivan for assignment. Williams, who will be joining his third organization in a span of six weeks, is expected to replace O’Sullivan in the rotation and make his Phillies debut Tuesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Gelb. The Rangers will receive $20K from the waiver claim, tweets Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.

Williams was designated for assignment Friday by the Rangers after making a pair of starts. The 32-year-old was outstanding in his Texas debut allowing just one run and no walks over six innings against the best team in the American League, the A’s, but he was shelled by the Indians in his next start (10 runs, 13 hits, and three walks in four innings). After pitching to a 4.46 ERA in 351 innings for the Angels from 2011-13, Williams has struggled to a line of 6.71 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and 12.0 H/9 in 28 appearances (two starts) for the Rangers and Astros covering 57 2/3 innings.

This is the second time the Phillies have designated O’Sullivan for assignment this season. Before that DFA, the 26-year-old made one start in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Braves allowing four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. O’Sullivan regained a 25-man roster spot when the Phillies traded Roberto Hernandez and, in the lone start of his second tour of duty Thursday, surrendered three home runs to the Astros over six innings.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Rangers Designate Jerome Williams For Assignment

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Rangers executive vice president of communications John Blake has announced (via Twitter) that right-hander Jerome Williams has been designated for assignment in order to clear roster space for Geovany Soto, who has been officially activated from the disabled list.

The 32-year-old veteran made a pair of starts for the Rangers and had wildly different results in the two outings. Williams hurled a strong quality start in his first game, yielding just one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in six innings against a tough Oakland lineup. In his second start with Texas, however, the Indians rocked him for 10 runs on 13 hits in just four innings.

Overall, Williams has a 6.71 ERA this season while playing for both Texas teams — the Rangers and Astros. That’s a far cry from the solid work he put together from 2011-13, when he turned in a 4.46 ERA in 351 innings as a swingman for the division-rival Angels.

Rangers Release Justin Marks

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The Rangers have released left-hander Justin Marks in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Jerome Williams, the team announced. Williams’ contract was selected from Triple-A Round Rock, and he will start from the Rangers tonight.

The Rangers claimed Marks off waivers from the A’s last month, but he appeared in just 5 1/3 innings for the club’s Triple-A affiliate, yielding three runs in that time. Overall, the 26-year-old has posted a 5.03 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 39 1/3 innings this season at the Triple-A level.

Williams signed a minor league deal with the Rangers after being released by the Astros earlier this month. His contract reportedly contained an Aug. 1 opt-out clause, which was thought to be a formality, as Texas was expected to call him up prior to that date. He posted a 4.46 ERA in 351 innings for the division-rival Angels from 2011-13, but he struggled to a 6.04 ERA in 47 frames for Houston earlier this year.

Rangers Sign Jerome Williams

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3:35pm: Williams’ contract contains an out clause that allows him to opt out within two weeks if he’s not added to the Major League roster, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (Twitter link)

3:20pm: The Rangers have signed Jerome Williams to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock, senior vice president of communications John Blake announced (on Twitter).

Williams, a client of Full Circle Sports Management, signed a one-year, $2.1MM contract with the Astros this offseason but found himself released earlier this week after posting a 6.04 ERA in 47 2/3 frames with Houston. The veteran swingman is plenty familiar with the AL West, as prior to his time in Houston, he had some success with the 2012-13 Angels, notching a 4.57 ERA in 307 innings (40 starts, 29 relief appearances).

The 32-year-old Williams has seen time with the Giants, Cubs, Nationals, Angels and Astros to this point in his career, and given the outbreak of injuries among Rangers pitchers this year, it seems likely that he could get a crack in the big leagues with Texas as well. The Rangers have lost Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Martin Perez for the season, while Tanner Scheppers, Nick Martinez and Alexi Ogando are currently on the disabled list. Veteran lefty Joe Saunders, who made eight starts for the Rangers, was just released and hooked on with the Royals. All told, the Rangers have played 92 games this season and deployed 12 different starting pitchers.

Williams has a career 4.45 ERA with 5.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent ground-ball rate in 824 innings of work at the Major League level.

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