Standout closer Devin Williams was said to be likely to be traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Dodgers. Instead, he was traded to the New York Yankees, an event Williams described as “the Yankees sneaking under the table to get the deal done.”
It’s no secret that strengthening the bullpen remains on the Dodgers’ to-do list. They have been linked to free agent Tanner Scott, who made 22 saves last season with the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins. They are being courted by free agent closers Paul Swald and Kenley Jansen (aren’t teams supposed to court players?).
But Williams is in a different stratosphere when healthy, his changeup nicknamed the airbender. The pitch breaks down, pushing the left-handed batter away and hitting the right-handed batter.
result? Williams has allowed just 129 hits while recording 375 strikeouts in 236 innings. His total ERA is 1.83. he is elite
Spin rate is the current measure of a monster pitch, and the Airbender spins more than any changeup on record: 2,752 revolutions per minute. The average rotation speed of the changeup is 1,769 RPM.
Apparently, Williams didn’t give any hint of a trade to the Yankees during Tuesday’s interview. He revealed that he was surprised that pinstripes and not Dodger blue were in his future.
When asked by SNY if he was “interested” in being traded to the Yankees, he replied: I thought I was going to go to LA, and that’s what I was told. ”
The right-handed pitcher could become a free agent after the 2025 season, with minor leaguer Caleb Durbin — who could compete for the starting spot at second base — and the best-known left-handed starting pitcher Nestor Durbin. That explains the low-key return of Cortez heading to Milwaukee. In Los Angeles, he was honored for allowing Freddie Freeman to hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series.
The Dodgers may also include second baseman Gavin Lux from Wisconsin in the deal with Williams. With the departure of Willie Adames as a free agent, the Brewers moved Bryce Turan to shortstop, leaving an opening at No. 2. Instead, they must turn their attention to other bullpen options.
All fans have to do is watch the podcast “Foul Territory” hosted by Scott Brown to know that the Dodgers remain the preferred destination, at least for free agent closers. Sewald, who made 81 saves over the past four years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, made that clear in an interview, but he’s 34 years old and has a career 4.09 ERA. Jansen, the Dodgers’ all-time saver, told the program that he wants to retire in Los Angeles.
But the Dodgers’ first target will likely be Scott, a left-hander who has made 55 saves over the past three seasons. The Dodgers don’t have a bare bullpen, as they re-signed Blake Treinen while also returning high-leverage relievers Michael Kopech, Alex Bashear, Evan Phillips and Ryan Brazier. But it’s clear they believe it’s wise to add another arm with nine-time experience.
It wouldn’t be Williams. Perhaps Cortez had the last laugh.
