The New York Mets claimed relief pitcher William Woods on Friday afternoon, the Braves announced on Twitter. The 23-year-old had been designated for assignment earlier in the week at the same time as Guillermo Heredia and Silvino Brancho in the roster crunch as the Braves prepared for the Rule-5 draft.
RHP William Woods was claimed off waivers today by the New York Mets.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 18, 2022
William Woods’ Braves career was brief
Woods, a 23rd-round draft pick in 2018, made his major league debut for the Braves in April this year and pitched two innings of scoreless relief, striking out two. Woods started the season in Mississippi, but had quickly been promoted to Gwinnett before his major league debut. He looked like he’d be part of the Atlanta-Gwinett reliever shuttle throughout the year as he was recalled and optioned twice within a week period from April 27 to May 4, but an ankle injury shut him down for two months a week later.
Woods would return to Gwinnett in late July and would receive one more callup with the major league club in September, but he didn’t appear in a game.
Woods finished out the season with Gwinnett and had a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 innings in the minors in 2022, appearing in games with Mississippi, Gwinnett, and the FCL Braves.
The reliever was ranked as the 25th-best prospect in the Braves organization by MLB Pipeline. Despite quickly making the majors as a late-round draft pick, the Braves clearly felt they had better options for the bullpen and were willing to try and pass him through waivers.
While it’s never fun watching a rival pick up a possible weapon for your team, we wish William the best in New York.