Rangers Sign RHP Trevor Williams To MLB Deal

On Tuesday morning, the Texas Rangers announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams to a major-league contract.

Texas completed the move before the Aug. 31 deadline, which makes Williams eligible to pitch in the postseason should the team qualify.

With MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players, the Rangers will not need to make a corresponding move to get Williams to the active roster.

In a move to add the other extra player, Texas has recalled Cam Cauley from Triple-A Round Rock.

As for Williams, the 34-year-old veteran was granted a release from the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Williams has missed much of this season recovering from internal brace surgery but has made eight appearances for the Nationals this season, posting a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings this season.

One of Williams’ appearances came at Globe Life Field, where he fired a season-high 3.1 shutout innings with five strikeouts against the Rangers on Aug. 18. He has thrown 8.1 scoreless innings in two career games/one start at Globe Life Field.

Up until this season, Williams had spent much of his 11 MLB seasons as a starter, but as he did in Washington, he will slide into the Texas bullpen, which certainly could use some coverage.

Prior to Monday night’s game, the Rangers placed both Cole Winn and Peyton Gray on the Injured List.

After the game, Texas manager Skip Schumaker mentioned how the team really only had a handful of relievers available. Fortunately, the Rangers only had to use two of them after Jacob deGrom fired seven shutout innings.

Robby Ahlstrom and Ben Peoples, who were both recalled from Round Rock on Monday, wound up pitching the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

Williams will provide Schumaker and his staff with a much-needed multi-inning option out of the bullpen as the season hits its final month.

Coming into play on Tuesday, the Rangers sit just two games back of first place in the American League West and a game and a half back of the AL’s final Wild Card spot.

As the push to gain a postseason spot ramps up, Texas will hope to have some more reinforcements join them as well.

Both Josh Jung and Nathan Eovaldi have continued to work their way back from injury and are staring down big weeks in terms of their rehab process and potential returns not long after.