Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Rays Should Be Encouraged by Strong Spring From New Infielder

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 7:00 AM ET

As the Tampa Bay Rays get set for the start of the regular season, an offseason acquisition is having a great spring for the team.

Following a busy winter for the Rays, the team has a lot of new faces and they will be hoping to be a contender in what is shaping up to be a very challenging American League East.

Tampa Bay was a tough team to gauge in 2025. Despite being eight games under the .500 mark, they did have a positive run differential. Usually, that is an indication of a good team. While the team does have some good talent and a reason to be optimistic about the future, they will be trying to win this year.

However, due to the team still not increasing payroll with new ownership, they are still having to try to find some diamonds in the rough. The Rays do a nice job of this and try to get the most out of their roster.

This winter, one of the under-the-radar additions for the team was the trade that brought in infielder Ben Williamson from the Seattle Mariners. Now, the infielder is set for a significant role on the team.

Williamson Poised For Big Role

Following the team trading Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it opened up a large void at second base. Lowe was an All-Star in 2025 and one of the best offensive players at his position in the league. Replacing that production offensively isn’t likely to happen, but the Rays will have some options.

Gavin Lux figures to be the player who is going to get a majority of playing time at second base, but Williamson, as a right-handed hitter, is poised to be in a potential platoon role at second base.

Due to a recent injury to Taylor Walls at the shortstop position, more playing time could become available at that position as well. Even though he might have been brought in as a depth piece, he could end up having a big role.

This spring, the results have been really good so far. In spring training, he has slashed .371/.436/.571 with two home runs and is leading the team in RBI with nine. The strong spring for Williamson is really encouraging for a player who could end up playing a significant role for the team. While hopefully Walls will get healthy quickly, having a player with the flexibility of Williamson is good.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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