Ben

Williamson

Williams has scuffled with the bat to begin the year, and the 22-year-old will get a chance to see another game from the bench after also sitting out Wednesday. Ben Williamson will hit seventh and handle shortstop duties with Williams out.

Williamson’s home run was his third of the spring and was a 350-foot shot off Jesus Luzardo that left the bat at 95.7 mph. The 25-year-old is slashing .348/.423/.565 in spring and could get a chance to play some second base with Gavin Lux starting the year on the IL. He likely remains off fantasy radars outside of deep AL-only leagues.

Lux had missed time this spring with a “cranky” shoulder but returned to the lineup on Sunday. Apparently, he didn’t recover from that game as well as the Rays would have hoped. While his injury means that Richie Palacios will make the Opening Day roster, it’s unclear if Palacios or Ben Williamson will start at second base with Lux out. Palacios is a left-handed hitter, which would favor him, but neither player needs to be added in fantasy leagues right now.

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.