The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league infielder Alika Williams.
Source: Pirates trade reliever RHP Robert Stephenson to Rays for minor league SS Alika Williams.
Stephenson had 5.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP in 18 outings this season.
Williams, 24, is hitting .237/.314/.417 at Double-A. He was first-rounder in 2020.— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) June 2, 2023
The 30-year-old Stephenson has a 5.14 ERA over 14 innings this year, with 17 strikeouts, a 5.36 FIP and a 1.43 WHIP. He has allowed seven runs over his last three innings. He began the 2023 season on the 15-day Injured List due to an elbow injury.
He had a 5.43 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over 58 innings last year, though he did much better with the Pirates after they got him late in the season from the Colorado Rockies.
The Pirates agreed to a $1.75M deal with Stephenson through arbitration this off-season. This is his final season before free agency.
Williams was a first round pick in 2020 by the Rays, selected 37th overall out of Arizona State.
He struggled a bit during his junior year that was limited to 17 games due to the pandemic. His high draft spot was based on his 2019 performance, when he had a .903 OPS in 57 games.
Williams played a total of 73 games over three levels in 2021, mostly in Low-A. He hit .267/.312/.375 for the season.
He played over three levels again last year, but a large majority of the season was spent in High-A, where he hit .254/.355/.390 in 84 games. He struggled with the jump to higher levels for 12 games total.
Williams was with Montgomery of the Double-A Southern League this year, where he hit .237/.314/.417 in 42 games.
He has shown little power or speed (16 steals over 27 attempts in three years) during his pro career, but he does make a nice amount of contact. He was rated by Baseball America as the best defensive infielder in the Rays system last year. His defense at shortstop is considered to be above average.
Williams turned 24 years old earlier this year. He is a glove-first player right now, who needs to hit a little more to have a chance to add real value at the big league level.
UPDATE: The Pirates announced that infielder Mark Mathias has been recalled to take the 26-man roster spot of Stephenson.
Mathias hit .275/.370/.325 in 15 games for the Pirates earlier this year. He has been with Indianapolis since, where he hit .294/.408/.424 in 26 games. He has been playing second base, third base and right field.
It’s also being reported that Duane Underwood Jr has cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Indianapolis. He was designated for assignment five days ago.
+ postsMark Mathias will take Robert Stephenson’s roster spot. Duane Underwood Jr. cleared waivers and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) June 2, 2023
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
Could Palacios be real? The usual BC pickup would be hitting .040 by now.
I didn’t think much of him but he’s producing. The upper levels is getting crowded with lefty hitting outfielders.
They need to ride Palacios hot streak and hope it’s real. I think that CSN has altered his swing to get a better launch angle and the power is showing up but causing him more K’s. Mitchell you never know which hitter is showing up 3 for 3 or 0 for 3 with 3 K’s. Swaggs hoping the offense can catch up to his defense. The guys in Altoona aren’t getting any younger and have potential but have major flaws.
I really hope a couple take steps forward so they can move the surplus for value or a position with less depth.
The best managing decisions of Shelton happened when he actually had to manage, lol, He’s a fricking joke. When Cody miraculously escaped giving up a run he decided to do his job. He actually expected Bolton to blow it up again to cover up his sorry ass managing!
Absolutely ecstatic to come from behind and take down the red birds in game one
Is that the last-place redbirds you’re referring to?
Reverse devil magic!
Especially after watching them in the dugout celebrating assuming this is Pirate bashing as usual, lol.
Bradenton just gave up three in the bottom of the 9th to lose.
The good luck moved north and the bad luck moved south rather quickly!
5 scoreless for the bullpen tonight. Very impressive!
A major league bullpen just like the Hurdle years, making a ‘hitting coach’ manager look competent.
One last beer. No more worries about the pitch clock and having to hold my pee. This one slow and savored. Let’s go Bucs!!! 😃
I don’t think I’ve ever heard “savored” in conjunction with drinking a Miller Lite before. I’m sure there’s a reason for that.
Miller Lite, it’s the table wine of beers!
You have overrated Miller Lite.
Ze Germans say it’s like sex in a canoe, fucking close to water.
I’m cracking a Victory brew!
I poured myself a shot of bison grass vodka.
Victory whiskey for me!
Feels like the biggest win of the season to date.
Raise it with pride tonight boys!
What a game, baby!
What a game!
Raise It!
The Cardinals thought they were going to win without Lars Nootbar? I don’t think so.
I miss the Arctic explorer that WM use to post for him.
June buccos are different! RAISE IT!
I complained about how Bae as CF defensive replacement is dumb but he’s done a nice job today. Hmm
Cutch has such a sweet stroke.
Professional hitter.
CH touching 100 MPH….💪🏻
He always does.
Nope, he did 99 too.
fireworks tonight!
In honor if the back to back: I’m shotgunning another Miller Lite! Oh yea!!!!
F’in rip it weenie. I’d bong a beer standing on my head if I had one. Show my 5 and 3 year old I can chug something faster than they can house Hi C.
That is fantastic.
I have the beer. Just not the bong. Beer one that is. May ask my wife to hold my legs to see if a inverted beer shotgun works. She will probably just throw me to the ground like Lloyds first base.
I know it’s totally immature for my age but….fuck it.
Fuck it, baby!
I’m with ya!
Maturity is overrated.
Never grow up, you never grow old
Palacios now leads the team in OPS.
If the Cards can score 4 in a inning via 2 homeruns, so can the Bucs 😁
Palacios can stay!!!!
BACK TO BACK HOMERUN!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥
Palacios!!!!! I can do this all night!!!!
Hayes liking the home ball park. Nice comeback.
Haaaaaayes!!!!!!
OMG OMG
Hayes!!!!!!!
LET’S GOOOOoooOOOOOOOoooooo!!!!!!!
Santana!
So, I am guessing the Bolton experiment is over. That was painful to watch. Makes you wonder why they thought Stephenson was expendable. They do need a shortstop at both AAA and the majors.
Underwood clear so we’re good……..
Put out the 🔥🔥 Johan!!
Nice stretch by Hedges
Bolton just does not look good….
Finally some stokes….
strikes too
Lol! Oops
Now no strikes or stokes
but almost a stroke for the fans. Sheesh!!!
Suddenly back to strikes!!
Good start for the Z man!
Then made it interesting……
Ugh harrington in a 17 pitch AB right now, thatll shorten an outing in a hurry
Ugh!
I have June 10 penciled in for call ups of anyone ready to come up whom Bucs don’t want exposed to Super Two. I’m guessing Priester gets Contreras’ next start. I don’t think they’ll bring up Nick or Endy at same time as that’ll obviously look like service time manipulation, lol.
Does nor surprise me cause every team does it unless they are that one player short of being a serious series contender. Pirates not that close……..
Where was that 3rd strike to Jack. Almost in Urcket seats behind the plate
Low and away and in the strike zone.
Thanks
Hey! Hedges got a hit! They gonna have a big inning!!
The ump made sure that wasn’t going to happen. I guess Molina can retire and the Cardinals still get the calls (referring to the Cutch AB, not the last pitch to Suwinski).
How close were they… could not tell from up here in the 300 level.
Obvious balls. Especially the 2nd called strike.
I think that second call was because Cutch let him know he missed the first call. Given that mindset, I don’t expect the Pirates to get any calls the rest of the night.
I……was wrong……
Brown with the bone-headed comment of the season: “After getting the first 2 outs of this inning, Contreras has not retired a Cardinal hitter.” No shit Greg.
After the 2nd homer, Block would have probably mentioned the 7 homer’s they hit last Friday in Seattle.
On the bright side, some good things happening in the minors. Temar hit a homer, Jones and Priester are pitching well so far.
I watched Priester pitch live tonight. He made a lot of batters looks stupid. From an offensive outlook, Endy’s swing looks so smooth.
How did CSN look? He’s getting his slugging up but with an increase in strikeouts. Just curious if he might have adjusted his swing to get the ball elevated.
I watched his swing again last night and I think you might be right about his swing, but honestly don’t have anything to compare it to. He did elevate the ball on one of his at bats as he hit it off the top of the wall. He probably has the most raw power on the team. He swung at a few pitches in the dirt. Andujar 4 more hits (all solid off the bat) last night. His out was caught at the warning track. They played him at first where he held his own, considering he has no range.
Thanks again
Canaan Smith-Njigba’s swing looks better, but in fairness everybody was hitting last night. He looked good on all fly balls hit to him. He hit a double play where I’m not sure he ever touched first base, but he hit a grand slam late. Thursday when the player’s would jog back to the dug-out after an inning, CSN would jog halfway, then walk slowly the rest of the wau in. His body language didn’t look good to me. He plays hard when he wants to and looks like an old veteran that should have retired other times.
The guy that had good body language surprisingly was Miguel Andujar. Even though, he didn’t play Thursday he was on the top steps for almost the entire game watching and talking with the players. He then started off last night’s game with a 3 run homer to left that went a mile. His next at bat, he just missed one hitting it 400 feet to center. With Cutch locking down the DH spot, defensively, I’m not sure the Pirates can afford to put him in the field every day.
Thanks
Termarr Johnson has been really good lately
https://www.milb.com/gameday/marauders-vs-tarpons/2023/06/02/729666#game_state=live,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=729666
From Statcast
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=6/2/2023&gamePk=729666&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=batter&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=&sportId=14
And from AAA
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?date=6/2/2023&gamePk=723584&chartType=pitch&legendType=pitchName&playerType=pitcher&inning=&count=&pitchHand=&batSide=&descFilter=&ptFilter=&resultFilter=&hf=boxScore&sportId=11#723584
Thanks for posting
Dang low throw by Santana could have gotten Gorman
All of these hits coming on elevated pitches.
Got the cotton candy nice effort
Disagree with Walk. That pitch was a little fat.
My thoughts as well
Ro’s changeup so far has been pretty tasty.
Thought jack lost that fly in the sun
I thought the same.
I guess this is where we’re hanging tonight? So to update from where I previously posted, every time Ro strikes out the side tonight, I’m shotgunning a Miller Lite….one down.😃
You’ll get bloated long before you get drunk on Miller Lite.
Might get a better buzz if you down one after every run allowed.
You gonna count a pick off by Ro as a k?
I’m in such a great mood…..let’s do this!!! 😁
Heard the “sound “ against Goldschmidt
Here is to a clean first for Ro
!
And clean it was!
Marciano SS
Reynolds LF
Cutch DH
Jack CF
Santana 1B
Bae 2B
Key 3B
Palacios RF
Hedges C