Juan Soto who?
Since the slugger opted to sign with the New York Mets, the other team in the Big Apple has been working ardently to improve its ballclub.
On the heels of inking an 8-year deal with stud lefty Max Fried, the Yankees struck again Friday morning. As reported by Jeff Passan, New York acquired elite reliever Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for SP Nestor Cortes and INF Caleb Durbin.
Williams has been a dominant relief pitcher since breaking into the Big Leagues in 2019. Over the last five-year stretch, he ranks second in ERA for relievers (1.83). He’s also first in hits allowed per nine innings (4.9), sixth in homers allowed per nine innings (0.6), and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (14.3).
Williams has a fastball that sits around 95-96 miles per hour. While decent, the pitch that he’s known for is his changeup. He throws the most devastating change in the game — as it features tremendous tilt and depth.
Williams has experience both closing and functioning as a high-level set-up man. While he’s essentially a rental with one year left on his deal, the Yankees are going all-in on trying to maximize the core featuring Aaron Judge and an aging Giancarlo Stanton. Pairing Williams with Luke Weaver gives New York a very good one-two punch in the backend of their bullpen.
Cortes was the victim of a Freddie Freeman grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. It remains to be seen whether he’ll need some work on his arm. However, the Brewers are getting a solid starter on a cheap deal. He won 9 games for the Yankees in 2024. In 2022, he was an All-Star, winning 12 games and accruing a 2.44 ERA.
Many thought Durbin would be New York’s starting second baseman this season. The 24-year-old can play both infield spots. He’s a bit of a grinder at only 5’6″. Having said that, Durbin is the type of hard-nosed, versatile player Milwaukee has won with. He hit .287 with 10 HRs and 60 RBIs for the Yankees’ AAA affiliate. Durbin also stole 29 bases and sported a solid .867 OPS.
