The New York Yankees have been busy adding draft picks after going a disappointing 82-80 in 2023. Trading closer Devin Williams to the Milwaukee Brewers has an interesting feel to what was a great offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer shared win-win deals for the remaining major targets on February 6. One of his ideas was for Milwaukee to send Williams to the Bronx for top talent from New York. Here are the details:Yankees GET: Right-handed pitcher Devin WilliamsBrewers get: Righty Chase Hampton and outfielder Brando Maia.Hampton, who advanced to Double A, was the Yankees’ fourth-best prospect after 2023, according to MLB.com.
Maia, an 18-year-old who has yet to pass the rookie ball, is ranked the ninth best prospect in New York.Williams completed the inning for the Yankees.Giving up two of the organization’s top ten prospects for a reliever may seem like a huge price to pay. But Williams proved it was worth it. He won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year award after posting a 0.33 ERA in 27 innings. After his ERA rose to 2.50 in 2021, the right-hander finished under 2.00 in 2022 and 2023.In his last 119.1 innings, Williams has a 14-7 record, 1.73 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 183 strikeouts. In 2023, he posted a 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings, finished 19th in NL MVP voting, and also won the NL Rookie of the Year award. He previously won the honor after an impressive performance in 2020.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has made several acquisitions for New York’s 2024 bullpen. Luke Weaver re-signed to a one-year contract. Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson were also acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in personal trades. However, as it stands, Klay Holmes is projected to be the Yankees’ closer, according to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource. Williams gave manager Aaron Boone the elite 9th inning option and Holmes decided to take over the 8th inning setup role.Would New York hope to trade another pitcher before Opening Day? In addition to his acquisitions in New York, Cashman and his office also worked elsewhere.
Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman joined the rotation in free agency. The field also shifted on the trade market with the signings of Alex Verdugo, Trent Grisham and Juan Soto.Despite Hot Oven’s activity, SNY’s Andy Martino suggested the Yankees could make another roster move. “Again, the Yankees are not completely satisfied with their offseason efforts to strengthen their pitching staff. I don’t think spring training will be a blowout for the pitchers,” he said via X (formerly Twitter) on February 5th. Some believe this means another acquisition to improve initial sales.
The fact that free agent pitcher Blake Snell is still available may prompt that thinking. But improving the back end of the bullpen with a player like Williams would be just as valuable, if not more so.Athletic spokesman Ken Rosenthal reported on Dec. 17 that the Yankees could build a “supercharged bullpen” if favorable rotation options are not secured.
Rosenthal mentioned options like Josh Hader, Jordan Hicks and Robert Stevenson.All three pitchers have signed elsewhere. If Cashman doesn’t want to drop top dollar on a free agent and has good value going forward, acquiring Williams would improve the club without breaking the bank. According to Spotrac, he is under contract through 2024 with a base salary of $7 million and has a club option worth $10.5 million for 2025.
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