The New York Yankees, coming off a poor 82-80 season in 2023, have been adding players to their roster nonstop. Acquiring Devin Williams, the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, would be a thrilling way to cap off an extraordinary offseason.
On February 6, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report revealed “win-win” trades for the top remaining targets. Among his suggestions was for Milwaukee to trade Williams for two of the best prospects in New York to the Bronx. These are the specifics:
- Right-handed pitcher Devin Williams is acquired by the Yankees.
- Brewers acquire outfielder Brando Mayea and right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton.
Reaching as high as Double-A, Hampton was listed by MLB.com as the Yankees’ fourth-best prospect after 2023. Mayea was ranked as New York’s ninth-best prospect. He is eighteen years old and has not advanced past Rookie Ball.
Williams Would Complete the Yankees’ Pitching Staff
It would seem like a big deal to give away two top-10 organizational prospects for a relief pitcher. But Williams has shown himself to be worthwhile. Having pitched 27 innings with a 0.33 ERA, he was awarded the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award. The right-hander’s ERA increased to 2.50 in 2021, but in 2022 and 2023, it was below 2.00.
Williams has a 14-7 record with a 1.73 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in his most recent 119.1 innings pitched. In 2023, he not only won his second NL Reliever of the Year Award but also placed 19th in the voting for the National League MVP Award because to his 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings. That distinction was already awarded to him in light of his outstanding 2020 performance.
Brian Cashman, general manager of the Yankees, has added a few players to the New York bullpen for 2024. Luke Weaver was given a new one-year contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers also sent Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez to other teams in separate transactions. However, according to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, Clay Holmes is still anticipated to close games for the Yankees.
Williams would shift Holmes into an eighth-inning setup position and provide manager Aaron Boone with an excellent ninth-inning alternative.
Is New York hoping to get a different pitcher prior to the start of the season?
Apart from the bullpen purchases made by New York, Cashman and his front office have been occupied with other projects. Marcus Stroman, the starting pitcher, joined the rotation through free agency. Additionally, the outfield saw a transformation thanks to trade market acquisitions of Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo.
The Yankees may still make a roster change, according to SNY’s Andy Martino, despite their Hot Stove activity. Additionally, the Yankees are not entirely happy with the winter work they did to strengthen their pitching staff. Me speculating, it wouldn’t be shocking if a pitcher were traded during spring training,” he stated on February 5 on X (previously Twitter).
Some would believe that this means adding another player to strengthen the starting lineup. The fact that Blake Snell, a free agent pitcher, is still available could encourage those ideas. But adding a player like Williams to the bullpen would strengthen its back end and be at least as useful.
The Yankees might create a “super-charged bullpen” on December 17 if preferred rotation options weren’t acquired, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal mentioned Josh Hader, Robert Stephenson, and Jordan Hicks as potential candidates.
Since then, the three pitchers have all signed with other teams. Getting Williams would benefit the team without breaking the bank, provided Cashman is content with the prospect’s cost and doesn’t feel like giving up top bucks via free agency. According to Spotrac, he is under contract for a base salary of $7 million in 2024 and a $10.5 million club option in 2025.