Brady's Spin: What Are Seattle Mariners Plans For Prospect Ben Williamson?
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On Sunday, the Seattle Mariners called up prospect Ben Williamson from Triple-A Tacoma. Williamson, 24, was a second-round pick in 2023 out of William & Mary. An excellent defender, Williamson is hitting .281 through 14 games with the Rainiers. He has just four career minor league homers and is seen as a better defender than he is a hitter.
Williamson's promotion is aggressive, and it's got us wondering, what exactly is the plan here?
Everyday player?
Is Williamson set to take over every day at third base? If he is, the hope is that he can produce something similar to what Josh Rojas did for Seattle last year.
Rojas hit .225 with eight homers and 31 RBIs while playing excellent defense. If Williamson does that, he'll greatly help the team's defense and pitching staff, but others will have to step up offensively.
This would force Miles Mastrobuoni, Dylan Moore and Leo Rivas into utility roles even further. Not to mention this....
What does this all mean for Jorge Polanco?
Polanco currently isn't healthy enough to play defense, but when he is, is Williamson still the guy at third? If so, does Polanco slide back over to second base? Or does he become the full-time designated hitter, and what does that mean for other guys on the roster like Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano?
Or, is Williamson just here for a week or two until Polanco is healthy enough to hold down third base full-time?
Is he a platoon player?
As of now, Williamson could conceivably play against left-handed pitching with Dylan Moore playing second. Both guys could sit against righties, with Rivas (2B) and Mastrobuoni (3B) getting action.
We'll start to get some answers on Tuesday when the Mariners play the Reds at 3:40 p.m. PT.
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