Jerome Williams claimed by Phillies, O’Sullivan DFA’d
Jul 25, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jerome Williams (44) during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers defeated the Athletics 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Phillies continue to be far more active in deals via waivers than they were before the MLB non-waiver trade deadline.
After sending Roberto Hernandez to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for two players to be named later, the Phillies have claimed veteran Jerome Williams off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
Williams is a 32-year-old right-hander in his ninth year of baseball at the big-league level. The Phillies are Williams’ seventh team and his third this season. The Houston Astros were his first team this season and he started 2014 out of the bullpen. He made two starts with the Rangers before the Phillies claimed him off waivers. Before throwing a pitch in a Phillies uniform, Williams has a 2-5 record with a 6.71 ERA so far in 2014.
To make room on the roster for Williams, Sean O’Sullivan was designated for assignment. O’Sullivan was given the ball Thursday when Hernandez was traded to the Dodgers. He struggled in two starts with the Phillies and had a 6.94 ERA.
In just one game at Citizen’s Bank Park, Williams has given up three runs on five hits. That was in 2005 and Williams has not pitched with a National League club since 2007 when he was a member of the Washington Nationals. Following his time with Washington, he was out of the major leagues until 2011 when he became a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
It’s likely Williams could start Tuesday, as O’Sullivan was slated to start against the Angels. In three games against his former team this season, the righty has seen eight Angels cross the plate while allowing 11 hits. Three of those hits were doubles and two were home runs.
Lifetime Williams has a 44-52 record with a 4.51 ERA. He hasn’t finished a season with a winning record since his first two seasons with the San Francisco Giants, the team that drafted him in the first round of the 1999 amateur draft.