Getty Despite a hot start, manager Aaron Boone would likely welcome the addition of Devin Williams to the Yankees bullpen.
The New York Yankees entered the 2024 regular season with high expectations to meet. Things have gone great for the Bombers through the first week of games, though. General manager Brian Cashman is likely already considering possible situations for the trade deadline. Could Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams be on his wish list?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer ranked the 10 best trade chips for 2024. Unsurprisingly, Williams is included. He’s only ranked 10th because he’s currently on the injured list due to suffering stress fractures in his back. The Yankees are among the potential landing spots listed by Rymer.
“Then there’s the question of whether the Brewers will even be selling, much less whether they would do so with Williams,” Rymer said. “His salary for this year is plenty reasonable, as is the $10.5 million he’d make next year if his option is picked up.
“But if we assume that the Brewers are a postseason long shot—and they are, per their 37.3 percent playoff odds—it’s that much easier to imagine a Williams trade.”
Williams will make $7 million in Milwaukee this season. He’s also under contract for 2025 via $10.5 million club option, per Spotrac.
When Could Devin Williams Be Back on a Big-League Mound?
The two-time Reliever of the Year tossed just 1.1 innings in spring training before he was forced to the sideline. Williams is in the middle of a six-week shutdown from activity. Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said on March 28 that, “Devin will determine the pace beyond that.”
As it currently stands, the best-case scenario for a return to action for Williams is June. If he does make it back by then, it’d be plenty of time to prove his health ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. But at the present moment, his absence is a tough blow for Milwaukee in a National League Central division that’s up for grabs in 2024.
Williams has been one of the league’s best relievers since winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. His cumulative performance between 2022 and 2023 has been especially dominant. The right-hander was named an All-Star in both seasons. Across 119.1 innings, he posted a 14-7 record with a 1.73 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 51 saves and 183 strikeouts.
Devin Williams Would Serve as Clay Holmes Insurance for the New York Yankees
Despite a disappointing 82-80 campaign in 2023, the Bombers’ bullpen finished with a 3.34 ERA. That was the best mark in baseball, per FanGraphs. Clay Holmes was a big part of that success.
He posted a 4-4 record with a 2.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 24 saves and 71 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched last year. The 31-year-old right-hander will earn $6 million in 2024 before hitting free agency in November. His possible departure would leave a big hole at the backend of the bullpen heading into 2025.
However, Cashman potentially landing Williams would accomplish two important things for the Yankees. It’d drastically improve the 2024 bullpen while giving the club a dominant closer for 2025 at an affordable price. Team owner Hal Steinbrenner would likely welcome that as New York prepares to try and re-sign outfielder Juan Soto to a $500-plus million deal this winter.