The Yankees have acquired reliever Devin Williams from the Brewers, sending Nestor Cortes Jr. and Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee in return
New York: The Yankees just made a big move by trading for Devin Williams from the Brewers. They sent pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. and prospect Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee, along with some cash. It’s a pretty exciting deal!
Williams, who’s 30, had a solid season last year, racking up 14 saves in just 22 games. He missed the first part of the season due to a back injury but came back strong, allowing only three earned runs in 21 2/3 innings. He’s definitely a valuable addition to the Yankees’ bullpen.
In the postseason, he had a couple of appearances but gave up a crucial home run to Pete Alonso in a game against the Mets. That’s something he’ll want to shake off as he joins New York.
Interestingly, the Brewers decided not to pick up his $10.5 million option for 2025, so he’s entering his last arbitration year. Williams has been with the Brewers his whole career, earning two All-Star selections and the 2020 Rookie of the Year title. He’s got 68 saves under his belt with a fantastic ERA of 1.83.
With Williams joining the team, plus the return of Jonathan Loáisiga from Tommy John surgery, the Yankees are looking to strengthen their bullpen. It’ll be interesting to see if manager Aaron Boone chooses Williams or Luke Weaver as the closer next season.
On the flip side, Cortes has been a reliable starter for the Yankees, making 84 starts over the last four seasons. But with the Yankees bringing in Max Fried, they needed to make some changes in the rotation.
This trade follows the Yankees’ big signing of Fried to an eight-year deal worth $218 million. They’re really focusing on building a strong pitching staff, which is smart given the challenges they face in the upcoming season.
Milwaukee has been in this position before, trading away star players like Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes. They’ve shown they can find good relief pitchers, so it’ll be interesting to see who steps up next. Trevor Megill, who had a solid season last year, might be the next big closer for them.
Even though it looks like the Brewers are shedding some salary, they’re not completely shifting their focus. They’re still in win-now mode, and bringing in Cortes could help them maintain a competitive edge in the NL Central.