Pirates releasing infielder despite bleak depth chart says all you need to know

Lost amid the hoopla surrounding the new international free agent class, the Pittsburgh Pirates released infielder Alika Williams––arguably one of the most boring and vanilla players the team has employed in recent memory.

Somehow a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, Williams was traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for relief pitcher Robert Stephenson in June 2023. Stephenson was one of the best relievers in the sport after the trade and parlayed his half-season in Tampa into a three-year, $33 million free-agent deal with the Angels (though he's barely pitched since then due to injury).

Williams, while lauded for his glove and not his bat, was an impressively bad hitter. Among the 564 hitters with at least 200 MLB plate appearances since 2023, Williams' 45 wRC+ ranks 559th, and he's one of only four hitters in that group to not hit a single major league home run.

It's not a surprise that the team chose to part ways—Williams was outrighted off of the Pirates' 40-man roster right before spring training last year and spent the entire 2025 season with Triple-A Indianapolis—but it's quite the indictment on the team's belief in him, considering the desolate infield depth the organization has at the upper levels.

The Pirates' decision to release Alika Williams given the team's current depth speaks volumes

In an ideal world, the Pirates add a real third baseman and Konnor Griffin earns the team's starting shortstop job. But as currently constructed, the Bucs are projected to enter the 2026 campaign with Jared Triolo starting at third base, Nick Gonzales at shortstop, and Nick Yorke as the utilityman off the bench.

Triolo is too inconsistent offensively and is best suited as the utility infielder, while Gonzales (who was a dreadful defender at second base, much less shortstop) and Yorke are also unproven hitters. But right now, those are the guys at the top of the depth chart. It is imperative that the Pirates add to their minor league depth so there are some viable options when somebody inevitably gets hurt.

The current next men up, in terms of players who could step in at second base, third base, or shortstop, are pretty bleak. The only ones who have played at all at the MLB level are Enmanuel Valdez, Ronny Simon, and Davis Wendzel. Valdez looked decent at the plate at times in 2025 but is probably a second base-only option. Simon has a .572 MLB OPS and re-signed with the Pirates after going unclaimed on waivers. Wendzel is 6-for-47 as a major leaguer and spent all of 2025 in the minors.

Even outside of that group, there's still hardly anyone at the upper levels. The only other player who has even reached Triple-A is Mike Jarvis, who had a .532 OPS last year at Double-A Altoona and is entering his age-28 season. Spring training will feature Duce Gourson and former No. 4 overall pick Termarr Johnson as non-roster invitees, as well as Jack Brannigan, who was added to the 40-man roster to avoid selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Still, none of those three have surpassed Double-A.

Losing Williams in and of itself isn't a big deal—most Pirates fans probably forgot he was still in the organization. But while the team still has work to do to address holes on the MLB roster, there is still an urgent need for capable depth. It's unfortunate that a former first-round pick wasn't able to provide that.