Getty Closer Devin Williams won NL Reliever of the Year in 2023 after a stellar season with the Milwaukee Brewers
The Philadelphia Phillies have enjoyed deep playoff runs in each of the last two seasons and have emphasized roster consistency over star acquisitions so far this winter.
But that might change before Opening Day, particularly as the Milwaukee Brewers now seem open to dealing their star closer Devin Williams, the reigning National League Reliever of the Year.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter reported that the Phillies could be a likely trade destination for Williams in a proposal that sends pitcher Andrew Bellatti, shortstop Bryan Rincon and catcher Eduardo Tait back to the Brewers.
“With (Craig) Kimbrel gone in free agency and no notable additions made to the relief corps so far this offseason, the Phillies are a logical landing spot as a team with World Series aspirations and a still unfulfilled need for a high-leverage, right-handed reliever,” Reuter noted. “The Phillies have missed out on rumored targets Robert Stephenson and Jordan Hicks, and a reunion with Héctor Neris made sense before he signed with the Chicago Cubs, so the options are dwindling in free agency…”
The Phillies have also been projected to trade for Cleveland Guardians’ All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase.
How Devin Williams Impacts the Philadelphia Phillies Bullpen
Coming off of a 1.53 ERA, 36-save season, the 28-year-old Williams won his second NL Reliever of the Year award. His whiff percentage and strike percentage were both in the 99th percentile of MLB last season, and his extension is unparalleled, creating the profile of a high-leverage closer who slams the door shut on opposing batters with a 94 mile-per-hour fastball and lethal changeup known as “the airbender.”
As the league’s best closer, Williams would answer one of the biggest questions for the Phillies in 2024: Who will be the go-to arm to close pivotal games?
“The Philadelphia Phillies employed a closer-by-committee in 2023, with Craig Kimbrel (23 SV) and José Alvarado (10 SV) leading the way, while Gregory Soto (3 SV), Seranthony Dominguez (2 SV) and Matt Strahm (2 SV) also saw a few late-inning opportunities,” Reuter noted.
A Package of Young Talent Could Land the Phillies the 2023 NL Reliever of the Year
Williams is emerging as a potential trade target for the Phillies after the Brewers traded ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for two young pieces and a draft pick. Shortly afterward, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that “Milwaukee could be open to a trade of closer Devin Williams, who has two years of club control remaining prior to free agency.”
It now appears the Brewers are interested in accumulating more high-upside talent, indicating that they could be seeking prospects in exchange for Williams. Rincon and Tait are ranked among the Phillies’ top-30 prospects while Bellatti is a veteran reliever whose own right arm might bolster the Brewers’ bullpen as the team rebuilds.
Writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Alex Coffey has noted that other teams are showing interest in acquiring Rincon and Tait.
“We’ll start with two prospects who have caught the attention of multiple teams: shortstop Bryan Rincon and catcher Eduardo Tait,” Coffey reported. “At least three big league teams have approached the Phillies about packaging Tait and Rincon in trades, but so far, the Phillies haven’t budged.”
The chance to add an All-Star piece like Williams might be the kind of deal that changes the Phillies’ reluctance to part ways with members of its farm system.