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The Phillies and Jerome Williams have agreed on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, reported Jim Salisbury Tuesday afternoon. Immediately, baseball writers across the country got stuck trying to run through the same doorway.
@JSalisburyCSN Bad form by the Phils overshadowing Game 1 of Series.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) October 21, 2014
Amaro upstaging the World Series. Tsk-tsk. RT @JSalisburyCSN Phillies have signed Jerome Williams to one year contract worth 2.5 mill
— D.J. Short (@djshort) October 21, 2014
Such bad form announcing major moves on World Series day. MT @JSalisburyCSN Phillies re-sign RHP Jerome Williams for one-year, $2.5 mil
— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) October 21, 2014
The deal includes enough bonuses for Williams to make up to $4 million.
Williams joined the Phillies' rotation for nine games and 57.1 IP through the end of the season. He gave them a 2.38 ERA with 38 SO and 17 BB. He started off as an impressive piece, with a 1.77 ERA through his first three games as a Phillie. Williams also pitched for the Astros and Rangers in 2014, allowing him to beat the Oakland Athletics three times and contribute to their horrific downfall.
His season totals included a 4.77 ERA, 1.400 WHIP, a 2.28 SO/W, and his first RBI in 4,000 days.
The 32-year-old was a realistic option for the 2015 rotation and is the first answered question of the extremely early offseason. The Phillies will likely have to actually give him a picture for the stadium lineup next year instead of just using a picture of the jumbotron.