The New York Yankees pulled out the red carpet when they landed Devin Williams in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers last winter.
The idea was for Williams to come in and be one of the better closers in Major League Baseball, just as he's been for much of his career, but with his 5.60 ERA and multiple blown games, things haven't gone anywhere near as the Yankees were expecting them to.
Williams was dreadful against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, allowing four earned runs in 0.2 innings.
What's the latest on Devin Williams?
A free agent this winter, Williams has put himself in a somewhat tough position.
Not only will he likely not return to the Yankees, but he might have to take a one-year prove-it deal to bring up his value.
Regardless of what happens, Colin Keane of FanSided believes he won’t be with the Yankees.
“Williams has done loads of damage to his professional reputation in 2025 by consistently being one of the worst relievers in baseball. For whatever reason, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was still placing Williams in high-leverage situations up until about two weeks ago, which doesn’t help anyone in the world other than the batters facing Williams...
“An extension for Williams would be the most surprising front office move in the history of Major League Baseball. Unless Cashman wants to etch his name in the record books while getting fired, he won’t be planning anything this winter for the soon-to-be free agent Williams,” he noted.
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To say it’d be the most surprising move in Major League Baseball history might be a bit unfair, considering William still has multiple years showing that he's one of the better closers in baseball. Still, he hasn't thrown well in New York.
Some players struggle when the lights are bright, so perhaps that's what Williams is dealing with.