Could Yankees Swing a Trade For Brewers' Elite Closer?

The Yankees could solidify the bullpen by trading for one of the game's best closers.

Sep 18, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts after pitching in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Free agency isn't the only way for the New York Yankees to improve their bullpen.

While the Bronx Bombers have multiple relievers set to hit the market, including Clay Holmes, Tim Hill, and Tommy Kahnle, they have been linked as a trade candidate for a handful of closers, most notably superstar righty Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers.

But while any potential trade talks for Williams haven't begun at the moment, a November 27 article from ESPN's David Schoenfield pointed out how the Brewers' approach to this offseason can make Williams available.

"Consider what the Brewers did after the season," Schoenfield wrote. "They bought out Colin Rea's option for $1 million rather than pay him $5.5 million, even after he went 12-6 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.3 bWAR... hey put useful reliever Bryse Wilson on waivers rather than pay him (he cleared and was outrighted to Triple-A). None of those decisions were necessarily wrong -- it just points to a team concerned about its payroll, which already sits about where it was in 2024.

"Closer Devin Williams will earn close to $8 million in his final year of arbitration," Schoenfield continued. "The Brewers could just run out the clock with him, as they did with [Willy] Adames. Or they could trade him before free agency, as they did with Josh Hader. But what they probably won't want to do is trade Williams in the middle of the season, as they did with Hader in 2022. Trade candidates could include the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Phillies, among others."

With the Brewers looking to maintain their current payroll level, trading Williams away one year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent would not only allow Milwaukee to save additional money, but get them value for their superstar closer instead of letting him go for nothing. While there were additional teams mentioned as potential fits for Williams should he be traded, the Yankees are one of the most logical destinations for his services, in addition to having the finances to keep him long-term.

Williams developed into one of the best relievers in baseball right away, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2020 after posting a microscopic 0.33 ERA and 0.86 FIP as a setup man. Amazingly, the righty maintained that unhittable form over the next four seasons and is coming off his third straight campaign with an ERA below 2; the trade of Josh Hader at the 2022 trade deadline would allow Williams to inherit the closer role, and he responded by racking up 65 saves from 2022 to 2024. Although the 30-year-old dealt with injuries last year, he still looked brilliant in his limited appearances (outside of an infamous blown save in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series).

Meanwhile, the Yankees managed to find a lockdown closer down the stretch in Luke Weaver, but there is the question of whether he can maintain this form. Outside of Weaver, there are no reliable closing options for the Bronx Bombers, which further necessitates the additions of high-leverage arms this offseason. Getting Williams would solve that problem instantly.

Any discussions between the Yankees and Brewers regarding a Williams trade has yet to begin. But if the price is right, New York should absolutely pursue the 30-year-old closer, as he would stabilize a bullpen that is currently a work in progress.