Former Phillie Nick Williams signs with AL Central team

The Chicago White Sox signed former Phillies outfielder Nick Williams to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. If he makes the big league club, he’ll make $900,000 in 2021.

Williams, 27, did not appear in a regular season game for the Phillies in 2020. He was designated for assignment on Aug. 11 and claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds shortly after. He reported to the Reds’ alternate site and never made it up to the major-league club. He was designated for assignment a second time just over a month later and outrighted to the alternate site.

Williams impressed in his first season with the Phillies, slashing 288/.388/.473 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs in 2017. He competed for playing time in both 2018 and 2019 but struggled to keep up, especially when both Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper landed in Philadelphia on monster contracts.

Last year, both Matt Klentak and Joe Girardi recognized his struggles but reaffirmed their affinity for the player who was once a big piece in the blockbuster deal for Cole Hamels.

“I think Nick has a lot of talent,” Girardi said shortly after Williams was designated for assignment by the Phillies. “I’ve loved my time around Nick, and I hope we don’t lose him because I think he has talent. But sometimes an opportunity like this can be the best thing for a young man. It creates opportunity. And we’ll just have to see what happens. I’m hopeful that we’re able to keep him.”

“I really like Nick Williams, and there are a lot of people in this organization that do,” Klentak said. ” And I know that the last year-and-a-half for him has been challenging, really starting with when we signed McCutchen and then Harper. That put Nick in a much different position than he’d been the prior year. We still believe in his talent. …we still believe in the person. …but unfortunately, the landscape of the outfield situation with the Phillies has changed in the last couple of years and it’s been a difficult situation for him.”

Williams will get another chance to earn an opportunity in the big leagues on Tony La Russa’s White Sox.

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