Veteran right-hander Trevor Williams has selected free agency instead of accepting an assignment to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, according to reports Saturday.
The 28-year-old Williams cleared waivers earlier in the week, setting up his decision to remain within the Pirates organization or try to jump-start his career elsewhere.
The split comes only two years after Williams’ 2018 campaign, when he went 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA in 31 starts for Pittsburgh. But he regressed to 7-9 with a 5.38 ERA in 26 starts in 2019, and his slide continued in 2020 as he went 2-8 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 starts while allowing 15 home runs (tied for most in the majors).
During his career with the Pirates, Williams went 31-37 with a 4.43 ERA in 106 games (94 starts). The Miami Marlins drafted him in the second round out of Arizona State in 2013, and they traded him in 2015 for pitching prospect Richard Mitchell.
