Yankees trade for Brewers closer Devin Williams

In their pivot after losing Juan Soto to the Mets, the Yankees  have impressively addressed who will be throwing the ball for them next season.

Who will be hitting it?

Still plenty of work to be done there.

Regardless,  several days after signing stud lefthander Max Fried to strengthen an already strong rotation, the Yankees swung a trade with the Brewers and obtained stud righty reliever Devin Williams on Friday.

The move cost the Yankees lefthander Nestor Cortes, second base prospect Caleb Durbin and cash considerations.

The acquisition of Williams, a pitcher general manager Brian Cashman said  he has been trying to get “for years” from Milwaukee, gives the Yankees another potent back-end-of-the-bullpen reliever to go with Luke Weaver.

The latter, terrific pretty much all of 2024 for the Yankees, took over closer duties from the struggling Clay Holmes in early September and thrived in that role the rest of the regular season and throughout the team’s run to the World Series.

It is assumed that Williams, who saved 36 games in 2023, will close for the Yankees, though given Weaver’s performance, that can’t  be guaranteed at this point.

Williams has gained renown for a screwball-like changeup known as ''The Airbender.''

“Swing and miss [stuff], with that devastating changeup,” Cashman said of his repertoire. “Certainly doesn’t seem to be afraid. Can’t do that job if you’re afraid of the big stage.”

The 30-year-old Williams’ performance in the majors has been headline-worthy pretty much from the start. He was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2020 and is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year  (2021 and 2023).

In his six big-league seasons, Williams, who will be a free agent after 2025, has a 1.83 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 68 saves, striking out 375 and walking 112 in 235 2/3 innings.

In his last five seasons, he is 27-10 with a 1.70 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, allowing 111 hits in 222 innings.

Williams’ 2024 season was delayed until July 28, the result of a pair of stress fractures in his back, but he was lights-out after finally being cleared to play, posting a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 22 games.

Williams, who struck out 38 and walked 11 in 21 2/3 innings, did suffer a high-profile meltdown in October. With the Brewers ahead 2-0 in the top of the ninth in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series and poised to advance to the next round, Williams allowed a stunning three-run homer by Pete Alonso and also allowed a fourth run as Milwaukee was eliminated.

The Brewers had a $10.5 million option for Williams for next season, an option they declined in November.

The Yankees entered the offseason with bullpen arms among their many roster needs for 2025, and they are still looking to add more. Holmes, whom they did not pursue, already has left via free agency (to the Mets), and Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle are free agents and not certain to return.

The Yankees have brought back Jonathan Loaisiga — who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and not due back until early summer, assuming no setbacks — on a one-year deal. But the righthander’s extensive injury history makes him far from a pitcher who can be counted on.

Still, there are higher priorities, meaning position players, preferably those excelling both on offense and defense. A big target came off the board on Friday as the Cubs reportedly reached a deal with the Astros to acquire lefthanded-hitting outfielder Kyle Tucker. Cashman said he had  “many” conversations with the Astros regarding Tucker but could not match up.

That leaves the Yankees — whose desire with Soto gone is to shift Aaron Judge from centerfield back to rightfield — still in need of a leftfielder, a first baseman and third baseman.

It had been speculated that Durbin would get a shot to win the second base job in spring training. But the organization’s plan coming into the offseason was to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base — a position he had never played professionally before doing so for the Yankees after being acquired last July — to his more natural position of second and acquire a third baseman via trade or free agency.

The Astros' Alex Bregman is a free agent — Cashman said he has talked with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras (also Soto’s rep)  — and the Cardinals' Nolan Arenado is available on the trade market, to name two of many options.

Cashman has spoken to the Cubs about lefthanded-hitting first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger, who possesses a good glove and provides plenty of potential at the plate. Free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander, coming off a 44-homer season with the Orioles, with whom he spent the last eight seasons,  also is of interest to the Yankees.

“It's not going to stop us from hopefully going to put together another great team,” manager Aaron Boone said after Soto picked the Mets. “There's different ways of doing it.”