After starring for the Milwaukee Brewers for the last six seasons, closer Devin Williams will have a new home for the 2025 campaign.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Brewers are finalizing a deal that will send Williams to the New York Yankees.
Per Robert Murray of Fansided, the Yankees are sending Nestor Cortes Jr. to Milwaukee. The Brewers will also receive infield prospect Caleb Durbin, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Milwaukee had declined the $10.5 million option on Williams’ contract on Nov. 3 but still retained him on the roster because he was arbitration-eligible for one more year. He will be a free agent in
2026.
Williams signed a one-year contract with the Brewers worth $7.25 million with a club option last offseason to avoid arbitration. He missed the first three months of the 2024 season due to two stress fractures in his back.
After making his return to the mound on July 28, Williams made 22 appearances out of the bullpen and recorded 14 saves, a 1.25 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 21.2 innings of work. He gave up four earned runs in two postseason appearances against the New York Mets in the National League Wild Card Series as the Brewers lost the series 2-1.
A two-time All-Star and two-time National League Reliever of the Year, Williams is one of the most dominant closers in the majors. In 2023, he recorded a career-high 36 saves across 61 appearances while notching 87 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched.
In his limited time on the mound this past season, Williams showed he can be as effective as ever when healthy, so he will surely be motivated to showcase his dominance in 2025 now that his injury issues are behind him.
By acquiring Williams, the Yankees are ensuring that their bullpen is anchored by one of the most dynamic pitchers in the game today while they chase another run to the World Series.
Relief pitching was an Achilles heel for the Yankees last season. Clay Holmes, who agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with the New York Mets this week, lost his job as a closer because of his struggles in the ninth inning.
Yankee relievers ranked 19th in MLB in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement (3.1). Cortes does take a depth piece away from their starting rotation, but they already addressed that unit in free agency by agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal with Max Fried.
Starting pitching was a huge area of need for the reigning NL Central champion Brewers. Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers are their only returning starters currently on the roster who threw at least 75 innings last season.
Cortes threw a career-high 174.1 innings in 31 appearances for the Yankees in 2024. He posted a 3.77 ERA.
Durbin, a 14th-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, played at three levels in the minors last season. He hit .275/.388/.451 with 10 homers and 60 RBI in 406 plate appearances.
