September brings MLB roster expansion, and teams are adding players for the final stretch of the regular season.
While the Chicago Cubs promoted BJ Murray and right-hander Tyler Ferguson, veteran pitcher Trevor Williams found himself joining a new club after being released by the Washington Nationals.
Williams, 34, was let go by Washington in late August but quickly secured a major-league contract with the Texas Rangers before the month ended.
Because the deal was completed on the final day of August, Williams remains eligible to participate in the postseason, giving both him and Texas an added incentive as the Rangers push toward October.
Williams returned to the Nationals this season after spending more than a year recovering from UCL surgery.
Working primarily as a multi-inning reliever, he posted a 2.65 ERA across 17 innings while averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
Texas is expected to use him in a similar role, although his Rangers debut was rough, as he surrendered three earned runs over 1⅓ innings against the Athletics.
Williams also has an important connection to the Chicago Cubs because of his role in the chain of events that eventually brought star prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong to the organization.
Williams was traded to the New York Mets alongside Javier Báez at the 2021 trade deadline, when the Cubs were beginning a major roster rebuild under Jed Hoyer.
Although Báez was the centerpiece of that deal, Williams performed well for New York, appearing in 30 games with nine starts and posting a 3.21 ERA down the stretch. His strong performance helped him earn a two-year contract with Washington.
Now, years later, Williams is trying to help the Rangers make the postseason for the first time in his 11-year MLB career, while Crow-Armstrong continues to develop into a key player for the Cubs and pursue a deep playoff run of his own.
