After yet another blockbuster offseason, the New York Yankees have a return to the World Series in their sights.
The team recovered admirably after losing Juan Soto to the crosstown rival New York Mets, leveraging the salary it would have allocated to him to instead bring in Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and others.
But one of the Yankees’ most notable offseason acquisitions has been nothing short of disastrous.
After winning two National League Reliever of the Year Awards and making two All-Star games in his six years with the Milwaukee Brewers, Devin Williams was poised to become the next great Yankees closer. Instead, he has a 10.03 ERA with 13 earned runs in his first 11 2/3 innings with the team and it’s unclear how he might ever return to being a shutdown option in the Bronx.
The debut has been so rough that Major League Baseball insider Joel Sherman suggested the Yankees could look to part ways with Williams before the trade deadline, noting that the pitcher will be looking for a new contract this winter.
“I am starting to wonder, do they have to make an in-season trade of Devin Williams someplace else?” Sherman asked during a recent episode of “The Show” podcast. “It’s his walk year and I think it’s probably pretty clear that there’s — of the 30 teams, the Yankees would not be at the top of the list, I would think, to stay. And he needs to get better to make some money… Am I crazy to think that he might not make it to the finish line with them?”
It’s fair to wonder if a parting of ways could be the best thing for both sides. There seems to be something about pitching in New York City that is affecting Williams and heading into free agency without an improvement would surely cost him.
Sherman’s co-host, Jon Heyman, cast some doubt on the idea, though. He noted the Yankees are probably still hoping for a bounce-back from Williams, given his talent, and that they’d be unlikely to receive a significant trade return.
But if things don’t get better on the mound, a significant change is called for.
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