45.5 F
Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Pirates Re-Sign Catcher Jackson Williams, Add RHP John Stilson on Minor League Deal

Published:

Pirates Prospects has learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed catcher Jackson Williams to a minor league deal on Tuesday and also signed minor league free agent pitcher John Stilson.

Williams split 2017 between Indianapolis and Altoona, hitting .201/.276/.249 in 55 total games. He has two brief stints in the majors, seeing time with the San Francisco Giants in 2015 and the Colorado Rockies in 2014. The 31-year-old Williams is better known for his defense, especially the last three seasons, where he has topped out at a .591 OPS. He threw out 32% of runners in 2017 and has thrown out 36% of runners in 11 seasons in the pros.

While he isn’t as good as Jacob Stallings in the glove department, his defense makes him a depth option at backup short-term in the majors if the need should arise. He will likely fill the same role he had in 2017, splitting time between Indianapolis and Altoona. Jin-De Jhang is currently getting his elbow checked out for an injury that caused him to leave winter ball in Australia, so that could affect where Williams plays.

Stilson spent most of 2017 in Triple-A for Buffalo (Blue Jays) where he had a 3.14 ERA in 34 relief appearances, posting a 1.25 WHIP, with 46 strikeouts and a .224 BAA in 48.2 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander does not have any Major League experience. He was a third round draft pick in 2011 and was rated as the seventh best prospect for the Blue Jays in 2012. He had a torn labrum in 2014 and missed all but one game in 2015. Before the injury, he sat mid-90s with his fastball and matched it with a changeup and slider that were both plus offerings, though he didn’t have the best command. He should take a spot with Indianapolis in the bullpen, although the Pirates seem to be crowded at the upper levels with pitching options.

John Dreker
John Dreker
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.

Related Articles

Article Drop

Latest Articles