Ben

Williamson

Williamson was back at third base today for the second time this spring, but the Rays have also used him at second base five times and at shortstop three times. Whereas the Mariners were looking at him as a potential regular at third, the Rays clearly see him as more of a utilityman, which is for the best. He was never likely to hit enough to justify a job at third on a good team, but his defense warrants a spot in the majors. The Rays will probably carry him as their second baseman against left-handers.

The draft pick will be 72nd or 73rd overall in the 2026 draft. Known for his excellent glove at third base, Williamson hit .253/.294/.310 with one homer in 295 plate appearances as a rookie for the Mariners last season. Odds are that he’ll be better than that going forward — he did hit .314/.392/.462 in his 52 games in Triple-A — but he still seems like a stretch as a potential regular. The Rays might want to take a look at him as a utilityman; he hasn’t played much shortstop since college, but versatility would definitely help his outlook. He has two option years remaining, so he could begin 2026 in Triple-A.

It’s a three-team deal that will send Mariners prospects Jurrangelo Cijinte and Tai Peete to the Cardinals, says Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, and third baseman Ben Williamson from the Mariners to the Rays, according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale. The Rays will be parting with outfielder Colton Ledbetter and a Comp B draft pick (slated to be the 72nd or 73rd pick overall), with both going to the Cardinals. Donovan, who has been part of trade rumors all winter, seems likely to play third for Seattle with Williamson gone, though he’s also very much an option at second base and in left field. The Mariners would have the 2025 NL All-Star under control for the next two years.

Woo’s return provides a massive lift for Seattle’s rotation mix for the best-of-seven series against Toronto after missing the ALDS recovering from pectoral inflammation. It’s unclear when he’ll take the ball during the extended series, but Mariners manager Dan Wilson should provide an update at some point prior to Game 1. The 25-year-old ace posted a spectacular 2.94 ERA across a career-high 186 2/3 innings over 30 starts during the regular season. The only other changes for the Mariners involve versatile Miles Mastrobuoni joining their bench mix with Luke Raley and rookie Ben Williamson being left off.

Wilson added that Naylor’s availability for Games 3 and 4 of the series is unclear. The 28-year-old slugger has returned to Arizona to be with his wife for the birth of their first child and could potentially miss a couple games in the series while on paternity leave. It would be Eugenio Suárez moving over to cover first base with rookie Ben Williamson at the hot corner in his absence. There should be some additional clarity on his status leading into Tuesday’s critical Game 3 matchup in the Motor City.

Jude adds that Naylor is expected to fly to Arizona to be with his wife for the birth of their first child — due Saturday, when Seattle opens the ALDS against Detroit — once she goes into labor. The 28-year-old is expected to be in the initial lineup for Game 1, but could end up having to leave at any moment. It would be Eugenio Suárez moving over to cover first base with rookie Ben Williamson at the hot corner in his absence. There’s a possibility that he winds up missing a significant portion of the best-of-five series against the Tigers depending on when he needs to leave the club to be with his family. His absence would be a significant loss for the heart of the Mariners lineup behind Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez.

Williamson returns to the minors after Seattle finalized their blockbuster trade to bring Eugenio Suárez back to the Pacific Northwest. The 24-year-old rookie figures to spend the final two months back at the Triple-A level for some additional seasoning.

Tyler Locklear and pitching prospects Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos will go back in the deal, says MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. Suárez, who batted .234/.327/.423 for the Mariners between 2022 and ’23, had a miserable time hitting at T-Mobile the first time around, but the Mariners obviously think things are different now. Suárez will step in for Ben Williamson at third base in Seattle, and he’ll probably see a drop in fantasy value. The Diamondbacks will go with Blaze Alexander at third until Jordan Lawlar is ready to return from a hamstring injury. Locklear should step in as their primary first baseman and could offer value in deep mixed leagues.

Williamson singled twice while picking up his third steal of 2025. The rookie third baseman has shown no power whatsoever, but a .259 average does show that he’s holding his own while playing excellent defense at the hot corner.

It looks to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 24-year-old infielder. Williamson has hit an uninspiring .257/.293/.322 with just one homer, 15 RBI, two stolen bases and a 59/11 K/BB ratio over 243 plate appearances for the Mariners this season. Miles Mastrobuoni will start in his place at the hot corner and bat ninth for the Mariners against Yankees’ right-hander Marcus Stroman on Thursday.