Blockbuster Dodgers Trade Idea Sends $10 Million Shutdown Reliever to LA

Getty The Brewers might shop closer Devin Williams on the trade market this winter. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be a potential landing spot?

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the middle of a tense National League Division Series matchup with the San Diego Padres. But that doesn’t mean some in the front office aren’t preparing for 2025. Could Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams be on their Hot Stove wish list?

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly proposed eight “realistic” MLB trade ideas with the offseason creeping closer. One has Williams heading west to become the Dodgers’ newest closer.

“Los Angeles will surely try to improve its starting rotation this winter, and some of that will come internally with arms like Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Tony Gonsolin returning from injuries,” Kelly wrote in the October 7 story. “Still, it’s unlikely the starting rotation will be the strength of the Dodgers next season, and one of the ways you can mask that is with an elite bullpen.”

Williams will officially be under contract for 2025 once the Brewers exercise the reliever’s $10.5 million club option.

Devin Williams Would Be a Huge Addition for the Dodgers

It’s hard to overstate how big an addition Williams would be to Los Angeles’ bullpen. The right-hander has been one of baseball’s most dominant relievers since he won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award.

A back injury limited Williams to 21.2 innings in 2024, but he still produced a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 38 strikeouts. He’s thrown a combined 141 innings since the start of 2022. That’s led to a 15-7 record with a 1.66 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 221 strikeouts and 65 saves in 72 opportunities.

The Dodgers’ 4.5 bullpen WAR had them as a top-10 unit in baseball this past season, per FanGraphs. They produced a collective 3.53 ERA and had 14 different hurlers record at least one save.

Among qualified relievers since 2020, only Emmanuel Clase (1.62 ERA, 8.5 WAR) has been better than Williams (1.70 ERA, 7.6 WAR). This is exactly the kind of shutdown reliever Los Angeles would want. They also wouldn’t have a problem offering a contract to retain him beyond 2025.

Why Would the Brewers Consider Trading Devin Williams?

Milwaukee is fresh off a heartbreaking loss to the New York Mets in the Wild Card Series, but they put together a solid regular season. First-year manager Pat Murphy steered his club to a 93-69 record and their second straight National League Central division title.

This was accomplished after sending ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles via trade in February. So, why trade away a crucial piece of the Brewers’ bullpen instead of trying to run it back in 2025?

What happens with free-agent-to-be Willy Adames might impact Milwaukee’s intentions with Williams. Spotrac is projecting a $152 million contract for the shortstop after he set several single-season career-high marks on offense. Milwaukee would like to re-sign him. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on October 6 that Adames’ ultimate price point might be too high for them.

If that happens, the best the Brewers could get in return regarding compensation is a draft pick by having Adames reject a one-year qualifying offer. Instead of getting to that same point with Williams a year from now, they might seriously consider getting multiple prospects for him in a potential trade. They did the same thing with not only Burnes this past year but also with fellow closer Josh Hader at the 2022 trade deadline.