As the Giants move their bullpens to center field, the player most impacted by the previous location is getting a second shot in the big leagues.
Mac Williamson signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals that will pay him $700,000 if he reaches the big leagues, according to USA Today. Williamson started last season with the Giants and made it back to the big leagues after getting designated for assignment, but he eventually ended up playing for the Samsung Lions in South Korea.
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Williamson was drafted by the Giants in 2012 and for years was one of their more exciting prospects. He made his debut in 2015 and spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Giants, but never received more than 128 at-bats. Williamson's best run in the big leagues -- early in 2018 -- was halted when he tripped over the bullpen mound alongside the left-field line and suffered a concussion that lingered the rest of the season.
Williamson was designated for assignment at the end of spring training last year but tore up Triple-A and earned another shot in the big leagues. He played 15 games for the Giants and 25 more for the Mariners before signing with Samsung in late July.
Ironically, Williamson, now 29, is back in big league camp at a time when the Giants are eager to finally take a long look at younger outfielders. Their new coaching staff is designed to get the most out of players like Jaylin Davis and Chris Shaw, who have torn up Triple-A but haven't broken through in the big leagues yet. Davis, in particular, is expected to get a lot of playing time.
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Williamson was one of two Giants big leaguers to end up finishing last season in Asia. The other, Yangervis Solarte, has signed a minor league deal with the Braves, per USA Today.