The Milwaukee Brewers declined the club option on closer Devin Williams, which means they will instead negotiate his salary for the 2025 season in arbitration, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. He was in the middle of trade conversations last offseason and we’ve seen how the Brewers operate with expensive players, looking to shop them for maximum value when they can, just as they did with Corbin Burnes last year and Josh Hader at the 2022 trade deadline.
With Clay Holmes hitting free agency alongside Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill, the Yankees are losing some serious firepower in their bullpen, and this could make them a suitor for the star closer. Coming off of a season where Williams pitched to a 1.25 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 21.2 innings pitched, could he be the next closer for the New York Yankees in 2025?
Why Devin Williams Could Be on the Yankees’ Radar This Offseason
The Milwaukee Brewers would likely have to pay Devin Williams between $8 million and $9 million in arbitration next season, and given their ability to churn out quality bullpen help with ease, it would behoove them to trade their closer this winter. It’s not for a lack of talent, Williams is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year and has the second-lowest ERA in among all relievers (min. 150 IP) since 2020.
He’s a strikeout machine thanks to his elite changeup, which many have dubbed the ‘Airbender’ due to its ridiculous movement profile. With -3.5 inches of Induced Vertical Break and 19.5 inches of arm-side movement, Williams’ changeup is the best offspeed pitch in the sport, as batters hit a measly .162 with a 48.8% Whiff Rate last season against the devastating weapon.
Paired with a four-seam fastball that has a Whiff Rate north of 30%, and you have a pitcher who can attack up and down the zone with ease. If the Brewers were to move Devin Williams, its likely that starting pitching depth would appeal most to them with the injuries they sustained in the rotation last year.
An injury-riddled 2024 season has hurt Chase Hampton’s stock a ton, but perhaps the Brewers still find his upside as a potential 2 or 3 starter enticing enough to target him in a trade. The Yankees’ farm system is less bountiful than it was when they traded for Juan Soto last winter as a result of injuries and some top players not taking the leaps they were projected to take in 2024.
Some other arms who could entice them include Cam Schlittler, Cade Smith, and Ben Shields, who all displayed above-average stuff with excellent strikeout rates. The Yankees could also offer an MLB arm like Nestor Cortes in exchange for Devin Williams, as both players will be free agents after the 2025 season and the Brewers could desperately use a middle-rotation arm making under $10 million.
For the Yankees, it would be a departure from their usual tendencies when it comes to acquiring bullpen help, often opting to get a lesser-known name in the hopes of maximizing their value. While Luke Weaver is now known as a top-flight reliever, just a year ago he was one of the worst pitchers in the sport.
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Getting a big-time reliever does have its benefits though, there’s less variance in their performance on a year-to-year basis and you can slot them into a closer role without much thought. It would also allow Weaver to be the multi-inning fireman that he was all season rather than just sticking him in the ninth inning, and it would more than make up for any losses they’d have in free agency in the bullpen.
One of the biggest concerns with the Yankees’ pitching staff in the postseason was their lack of whiffs, and while I’d argue that group was more than good enough to win them the World Series, it wouldn’t hurt to add more swing-and-miss to the roster. Williams has struck out over 40% of batters faced since the 2020 season, and while I do believe there will be other teams who could offer more, the Yankees do have a need in the bullpen and could pursue a star closer.
The main priority for now will be signing Juan Soto, and with free agency beginning tonight, the Yankees will enter a critical negotiation period after winning the AL pennant in 2024.