Rays have smart Ben Williamson strategy that Mariners foolishly never considered

The anticipation and hope of a new baseball season is upon us, with pitchers and catchers reporting this week for the Mariners in Peoria. The depth chart looks extremely enticing for a team which came within eight outs last year of their first World Series berth.

There's no denying that the predicted Mariners lineup for Opening Day is better than in 2025, and part of the reason for this is the recent trade with the Cardinals for All-Star utility player Brendan Donovan. However, as much as he was a necessary addition, the return package to obtain him was criticized in some corners as possibly being too much.

Part of this return package included Ben Williamson being sent to the Rays, the third team involved in the blockbuster deal. Now some more news has come to light which will only reinforce the conviction of those who believe the Mariners gave up too much to bring in Donovan, whether in general or in the case of Williamson specifically.

Maximizing Ben Williamson's chances to utilize his superior defense

As per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays are planning to turn Williamson into a utility player, which is somewhat ironic given that part of the M's appeal with Donovan was because he provides just this. Last week, baseball operations president Erik Neander said:

"(Williamson) spent most of his time at third base, but has infielder actions that play at such a high level that we think it’s transferable to second and short. He’s got to come into camp and do his part."

Erik Neander

This is no surprise in light of the Rays' long-standing ability and reputation to develop and maximize the abilities of young talent, but what does surprise us is the Mariners' own decision not to consider using Williamson as a utility player. Jerry Dipoto, Justin Hollander and the rest of the front office are usually so meticulous in considering every possible avenue when it comes to how best to run the team.

Instead, as per SoDo Mojo's Jason Wang, prior to the Donovan trade the Mariners were focused on hoping Williamson would be able to hit enough to earn the third base job. While no one doubts the 25-year-old's potential as a Gold Glove-level defender, he struggled with the bat during his Major League debut season last year.

The potential for the Mariners to regret their seeming oversight

While there was (is) confidence Williamson will improve with his bat, there is a belief that he is projected to never be that dangerous as an offensive threat. Along this potential timeline, a light-hitting third baseman is not an asset, whereas a light bat by a player who can also give you plus-defense at second base and shortstop is.

We appreciate that Williamson's experience during three years in the minors was overwhelming at third base, but his defensive capabilities give him the ability to transfer his skills to other infield positions. Clearly the Rays see this potential, so why didn't the Mariners?

Making this apparent miscalculation even more confusing is their willingness to utilize other players at different positions in 2026. Donovan is the main aforementioned example, with him set to play at both second and third base this coming season, while top-rated prospect Colt Emerson has the ability and is being considered to also play either of these positions along with shortstop.

If Williamson had stuck around, then he could have platooned with Emerson, as well as Cole Young and/or J.P. Crawford. Instead, we are left to wonder why the Mariners (seemingly) foolishly never considered such an approach while the Rays now stand to benefit from the gamble of testing Williamson's adaptability.