The Red Sox have signed free agent right-hander Sam McWilliams to a minor league contract, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log.
McWilliams has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. The 30-year-old righty is returning to affiliated ball after spending parts of the past two seasons with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. In 27 relief appearances for the Toros to begin the 2026 campaign, he posted a 3.04 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 2/3 innings before being released Wednesday to pursue this opportunity.
McWilliams is a former eighth-round draft pick of the Phillies out of Beech High School (Hendersonville, Tenn.) in 2014. The Florida native was traded to the Diamondbacks for Jeremy Hellickson in November 2015. He was then dealt to the Rays alongside Colin Poche in May 2018 to complete Arizona’s acquisition of Steven Souza Jr.
After being left off Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster at the end of the 2018 season, McWilliams was plucked by the Royals with the second overall pick in that December’s Rule 5 Draft. He failed to make Kansas City’s 2019 Opening Day roster, however, and was subsequently returned to the Rays, where he remained through 2020 before reaching free agency.
Not long after hitting the open market, McWilliams inked a major league contract with the Mets in November 2020. He opened the 2021 season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Padres that June. San Diego then managed to sneak him through waivers and outright him to the minor leagues, allowing him to become a free agent again at the end of the year.
McWilliams landed a minor league contract with the Reds in March 2022 but was released three months later to work as a sales representative for Blast Athletics, a sports fundraising application. He returned to pitch for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican Pacific League following the 2023 season, then signed a minors pact with the Cubs in January 2024. Seven months later, Chicago released him. He briefly caught on with the Brewers before they cut him loose in July 2025, prompting him to join the Toros de Tijuana.
All told, the well-traveled McWilliams has spent time with the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Rays, Royals, Mets, Padres, Reds, Cubs, and Brewers organizations without ever having pitched in the big leagues. In 89 career appearances (13 starts) across four seasons at the Triple-A level, he owns a 7.76 ERA with 197 strikeouts to 110 walks over 157 2/3 total innings.
This season in Mexico, McWilliams has reached 99 mph with his whiff-inducing upper-90s fastball. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound hurler features a sinker, slider, and curveball, and has added a cutter and sweeper to his arsenal, according to Chris Langin of Unfiltered Labs.
McWilliams, who turns 31 in September, is slated to join the WooSox for the remainder of their series in Syracuse this weekend, giving them another experienced option in the bullpen.
(Picture of Sam McWilliams: Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
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