The New York Yankees swung a trade for Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams last winter, and it ended up aging quite poorly.
Williams struggled in the closer role for the Yankees. He ended up being moved out of the role in favor of David Bednar, but the damage was done. It seems unlikely that the Yankees will push to retain him, which makes him available for other contending teams to sign.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut recently predicted that Williams would leave the Yankees in free agency in favor of a deal with the loaded Los Angeles Dodgers.
“When you have the money to assemble a dynasty and address any area of need on your team, you go all out for it. That’s what we’re anticipating the Los Angeles Dodgers will do this winter,” Johnson wrote. “Devin Williams could sign a one-year deal with Los Angeles, proving he can rebound from last season’s struggles (4.79 ERA) while pitching in the late innings for the World Series favorite. If all goes well, Williams will rebound to the standout reliever we saw in Milwaukee and turn the Dodgers bullpen into one of the team’s strengths in 2026.”
Williams wouldn’t fit any team better than he would the Dodgers.
The Dodgers need to patch up their bullpen after it was a huge weak point last season. Adding Williams in a setup role would be the move they need to make, and it likely wouldn’t cost them nearly as much money as some of the other top free agent arms.
Williams is likely to sign a one or two-year deal with a contender. The Dodgers are the perfect fit.
