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Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Candidates to Come Off the 40-Man Roster for Aroldis Chapman
By Marty Leap
Infielder Alika Williams
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Alika Williams in exchange for Robert Stephenson last May. In a trade that proved to be a very poor one for the Bucs, Stephenson went on to pitch his way to being arguably the top free agent relief pitcher this offseason while Williams was woeful with the Pirates.
Williams had 112 plate appearances in 46 games played with the Pirates. The middle infielder hit for a .198/.270/.248 slash line with a 44 OPS+ and a 43 wRC+. While he did draw walks at an 8.0% rate, he struck out at a woeful 31.3% rate. Despite his strong defense, he was worth a -0.2 WAR.
There is no path to Williams cracking the team's Opening Day roster. Barring injury, it's hard to envision the Pirates having a role for Williams during the 2024 season. There are multiple players available who can give them what Williams can, if not more.
To be honest, it's somewhat surprising that Williams has lasted this long into the offseason on the 40-man roster. It would not be a surprise at all if Williams ends up as the sacrificial lamb to make room for Chapman on the 40-man roster.