Athletics, Pirates make intriguing trade on Saturday

The Athletics and Pirates completed a depth-focused trade Saturday, with the A’s acquiring infielder Alika Williams from Pittsburgh in exchange for minor league right-hander Kyle Robinson. The move came days after the Athletics placed All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson on the injured list, leaving Darell Hernaiz as the team’s only natural shortstop on the major league depth chart.

Williams, 27, was immediately added to the Athletics’ active roster after spending the first part of the 2026 season with Triple-A Indianapolis. He produced one of the strongest offensive stretches of his professional career there, batting .317 with an .852 OPS, two home runs, 10 doubles and 18 RBIs in 34 games. Across 135 plate appearances, Williams also recorded a .385 on-base percentage and .467 slugging percentage.

Originally selected 37th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 MLB Draft, Williams joined the Pirates in the June 2023 trade that sent Robert Stephenson to Tampa Bay. He made his MLB debut later that season and appeared in 83 games for Pittsburgh across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. In 188 at-bats at the major league level, Williams hit .202 with nine doubles, two triples, 11 RBIs and a .528 OPS. Defensive ability remained his primary calling card, earning praise for his range, arm strength, quick first step and overall shortstop defense coming out of the draft.

The Pirates opted to move Williams despite his Triple-A production because of limited opportunities in its infield mix. Konnor Griffin and Brandon Lowe handled middle infield duties, while Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo also factored into playing time considerations.

Pittsburgh acquired Robinson, a 22-year-old right-hander selected by the Athletics in the 11th round of the 2024 draft out of Texas Tech. Robinson owns a 7-13 record and 4.52 ERA in 34 professional appearances, including 27 starts, across the A’s farm system. This season at High-A Lansing, he compiled a 3.62 ERA over 27.1 innings with a 1.35 WHIP and .240 batting average against. Robinson features a four-pitch combination consisting of a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup.

To create roster space for Williams, the Athletics designated infielder Michael Stefanic for assignment after just two games with the club. The A’s also completed another minor trade Saturday, sending outfielder Junior Perez to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Jackson Nove, who owns a 1.96 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 23 innings at Single-A Kannapolis this season.

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