Most pictures of Devin Williams in a New York Yankees uniform look like the one above. Rarely did he have a reason to smile. Often, he had a reason to look just a little bit bummed out.
Nothing went according to plan in Williams' first year in the Bronx after being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers. He was supposed to be a bullpen ace and was instead a bullpen bust.
Now, Williams is a free agent.
It's not immediately clear whether the Yankees would bring him back, but Williams did express a fondness for the Yanks.
“I really enjoyed my experience here," Williams told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "There’s a lot to like about this city, but it took me some time to adjust.”
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Williams also told Hoch he'd "definitely be open" to a return to New York.
By the end of the season, Williams had a career-worst 4.79 ERA. He was better in the second half of the season, including four scoreless innings in the playoffs.
He did set a career-high in innings pitched, at 62.
Williams is heading into his age-31 season. Other free agent closers include Ryan Helsley and Raisel Iglesias, and both Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez could opt out of their current contracts.
The Yankees made trade deadline deals for more bullpen help and still have David Bednar and Camilo Doval under contract. That may limit their overall interest in Williams, so his final destination is still quite up in the air.
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