One New York Yankees $8.6 million pitcher could be off the team when the season ends.
This past offseason, the New York Yankees made a significant trade to upgrade the backend of their bullpen, adding Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams.
In 2024, Williams only appeared in 22 games due to a stress fracture in his back that cost him four months. The season before, Williams was an All-Star with 36 saves.
When the Yankees traded for Williams, they probably thought they would be getting the 2023 version, but through 45 games this year, he has a 5.01 ERA.
The Yankees upgraded the bullpen at the trade deadline, adding David Bednar, Jake Bird, and Camilo Doval. The three pitchers should make an impact heading into October. With all three players having a few years left of control, Stephen Parello from Fansided thinks Williams will likely not return to New York next year.
"When the Yankees traded for Devin Williams this past offseason, he was regarded as one of the best closers in baseball. A lot of chatter was then brought up as to whether or not Williams would be one-and-done in pinstripes, especially after the Los Angeles Dodgers lavished reliever Tanner Scott with a massive four-year, $72 million contract, setting the market at an all-time high for back-end bullpen pieces," Parello wrote. "Instead, with the exception of a 0.93 ERA in June, Williams has struggled mightily all season. With two other relievers with ninth-inning experience now on the roster in David Bednar and Camilo Doval — both of whom are under team control beyond this season — the writing is on the wall for Williams. He'll survive the rest of the season, but he's a surefire goner once he hits free agency."
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Williams is in his final year of his $8.6 million contract, and with the season he had, there's no reason why the Yankees should be bringing him back for 2026.
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