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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff WriterDec 17, 2024, 03:47 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
Devin Williams knew he was getting traded. He was just caught by surprise on the destination.
Williams, 30, spent Tuesday being introduced as the newest member of the New York Yankees, ending a whirlwind set of rumors that had him potentially landing on the other coast.
“I kind of thought I’d be going to L.A.,” Williams, 30, said. “That was what I was being told and the Yankees snuck in there under the table and got the deal done.”
The All-Star closer is an impending free agent and understood he’d likely be too expensive to stay in Milwaukee. He saw plenty of rumors, but it wasn’t until his agent called that he knew he was dealt for left-hander Nestor Cortes, prospect Caleb Durbin and cash.
So, instead of joining the World Series champion Dodgers, Williams landed on the team the Dodgers defeated for the title. He will bolster a Yankees bullpen that has so far lost Clay Holmes to free agency and could have two more key players — Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill — sign elsewhere this winter.
While Yankees manager Brian Cashman last week said Williams’ role will be up to manager Aaron Boone, the right-hander with a devastating changeup known as “The Airbender” figures to slide into the closer slot that Luke Weaver, a breakout star in 2024, filled in September and through the postseason.
“I’m excited for it, man,” Williams said. “They obviously have a long history with Mariano, Aroldis. Those guys, they’ve been the best of the best. And I’m just trying to add my name to that list, hopefully. But I think it’ll be good for me. I’m someone who, I thrive off the energy. I can feed off the fans.”
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Williams became the Brewers’ closer in July 2022 after the club traded All-Star closer Josh Hader. He finished the year — his first as an All-Star — with a 1.93 ERA and 15 saves. In 2023, his first full season as a closer, Williams was an All-Star again and recorded a 1.53 ERA with 36 saves across 61 appearances. He then missed the first four months of the 2024 season with a stress fracture in his back before returning in late July, pitching a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves and a 43.2% strikeout rate in 22 games.
His season — and Brewers tenure — concluded in disappointment when he surrendered four runs in the ninth inning in the decisive Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the New York Mets, including a go-ahead three-run home run to Pete Alonso on his vaunted changeup.
Williams said he takes a vacation abroad after most seasons. After the Brewers’ early playoff exit in October, however, he decided to stay in the United States, and coincidentally spent 10 days in New York City. He visited the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. He enjoyed the restaurant scene. Ten days, he realized, wasn’t enough to complete his tourist checklist.
He’ll now have more time to explore the city. The question is whether his time in New York will stretch beyond 2025. Williams, a free agent next offseason, said he is an option to a contract extension.
“I think if it’s right for both sides, that’s definitely always an option,” Williams said. “Nothing has been discussed up until now so I can’t really comment too much on that.”
