The Toronto Blue Jays made a roster move on Friday, Nov. 13, parting ways with former seventh-round pick Peyton Williams, according to the Buffalo Bisons’ official transaction page.
Williams, a first baseman drafted by Toronto in the 2022 MLB Draft, is now a MiLB free agent and free to sign with any organization. After the way he’s hit over the past few seasons, there should be plenty of clubs at least taking a hard look.
His time in the Blue Jays system included his first trip to Triple-A this season, a notable step for a player who has steadily built a reputation as a left-handed power bat. Since being drafted out of Iowa, Williams has developed into the kind of first baseman who can offer some pop and offensive value, even if he’s not the sort of thunderous slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has made Toronto fans used to seeing.
The bat has long been the calling card. In the year he was drafted, Williams put together a strong line with 13 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .335 average, while walking the same number of times he struck out, 35.
This past season was his busiest yet. Williams opened in High-A and finished in Triple-A, and across those levels he set a career high with 16 home runs and 74 RBIs. Most of that power came at Single-A, where he hit 11 homers, but he handled the jump as the pitching got tougher.
His stint with Buffalo was brief but productive. In 23 games with the Bisons, Williams hit three home runs, drove in 12 runs and drew five walks against 20 strikeouts.
The move also came with the Rule 5 Draft in mind. Williams was eligible, which meant Toronto would have needed to add him to the 40-man roster to keep him out of the draft pool. Instead, the Blue Jays chose another route and moved on, even though he likely would have drawn interest if he had reached the Rule 5 Draft.
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