The New York Yankees are looking to compete for a World Series this season, but one insider believes the team could subtract from their roster.
The Yankees made a bold move to acquire Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason to be their closer. However, Williams has struggled and was removed from the closer’s role.
Now, MLB insider Joel Sherman believes the Yankees could look to trade Williams ahead of the deadline to get an asset back for him.
“I am starting to wonder, do they have to make an in-season trade of Devin Williams somewhere else? 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,” Sherman said on ‘The Show’ podcast. “And he needs to get better to go make some money. The Yankees have Weaver… Am I crazy to think that he might not make it to the finish line with them? That this is a marriage that is just not sustainable.”
Trading Williams would be a stunning move, as he was expected to be a key part of New York’s bullpen. He’s earning $8.6 million this season before becoming a free agent, which is why the Yankees could look to trade him so they at least get something for him.
Williams is 1-2 with a 9.24 ERA this season while going 4-for-5 on saves.
Insider Doubts Yankees Would Get Much For Williams
Although Sherman thinks the Yankees could look to trade Williams, his co-host Jon Heyman disagreed.
Instead, Heyman thinks the Yankees wouldn’t get much for him, which wouldn’t make a trade worth it.
“You’d probably be able to give him away, have somebody take the contract, but you’re not going to get anything back for him,” Heyman said.
Heyman believes the Yankees would rather give Williams as much time as possible to figure it out, as they know how good and how important he could be.
Williams is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year.
Yankees’ Williams Starting to Pitch With More Confidence
After removing Williams from the closer’s role, the hope was that it would help him find his form.
Williams would be able to pitch in lower-level situations, and he has pitched better. After pitching well on May 7, Williams revealed he is starting to pitch with more confidence.
“I mean, I’m not going to say I’ll never have a bad outing again,” Williams said. “I just feel like myself. Taking ownership of the situation and since then, I’ve pitched with more confidence, continued to do that today.”
Williams came in in the 10th inning and didn’t allow a run, even with a runner on second, which was big for his confidence.
Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone, meanwhile, says it was big for him as they need Williams to be dominant to have a good bullpen.
“Ghost runner, top of the order, what’s gone on here in the first month-plus — that takes a lot of guts to stand out there and just make pitch after pitch and continue to execute,” Boone said. “Hopefully, that’s another one in a handful that have been really good of late. Keep building. We needed him, period.”
Williams is a two-time All-Star.
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