Phillies designate Luke Williams for assignment

The Philadelphia Phillies officially announced Tuesday evening that they’ve agreed to a five-year contract with slugger Nick Castellanos.

To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Castellanos, the Phillies designated Luke Williams for assignment.

A third-round pick by the Phillies in the 2015 MLB Draft, Williams had a pretty incredible start to his Major League career in 2021. Days after he bunted his way on in his first at-bat as a Phillie and advanced to third base on an errant throw, Williams hit a walk-off home run at Citizens Bank Park on June 9:

Welcome to the majors, Luke Williams. pic.twitter.com/pYuKbyqQCq

— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) June 10, 2021

While Williams provided the Phillies with some defensive flexibility, his overall offensive production didn’t stand out in 2021, as he slashed .245/.315/.316 with six RBIs and a .631 OPS. It’s entirely possible that the 25-year-old will clear waivers and remain in the Phillies organization.

The Phillies announced a few other roster moves Tuesday with Opening Day quickly approaching. Catcher Rafael Marchan and RHP Hans Crouse were both optioned to minor-league camp, while Kyle Dohy and Johan Rojas were reassigned to minor-league camp.

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