In December, the Milwaukee Brewers traded All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees for infielder Caleb Durbin and left-handed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes.
At the time, it seemed the Yankees committed highway robbery, as Durbin was not listed among New York’s top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline, and Cortes, while reliable, was a middle-of-the-rotation starter. Williams was recognized as one of Major League Baseball’s best closers with a nasty changeup.
Now, almost three full months into the 2025 season, many fans and media members would argue the Brewers won the trade. Of course, there’s no exact way of distinguishing which team came out on top in the deal until the end of the season.
Why the Brewers May Have Won the Trade
While Williams was a great protector of leads in the back of the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen, the National League Central club was hoping to grab a young, speedy infielder like Durbin, who could be in the starting lineup for several years.
“Right now, it’s easy to say the Brewers won the deal. Milwaukee had a serious need on the left side of the infield, and Durbin has been a positive. Plus, he’s just a 25-year-old rookie who is under team control for years to come,” Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy wrote Monday morning.”Williams is a star and has looked better recently, but he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Williams and Cortes have the same WAR so far this season, so in reality, the difference is Durbin, and he has upside for Milwaukee.”
After making just two starts with his new team, Cortes landed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow flexor strain and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list. He allowed eight earned runs and five home runs, including three solo shots on the first pitches he threw in a Brewers uniform against the New York Yankees on March 29.
Durbin set the single-season stolen base record in the Arizona Fall League with the Yankees with 29 swiped bags in 24 games. He’s accumulated 1.1 WAR in his first 57 MLB games, hitting .228/.318/.332 with three homers and 25 RBIs while playing steady defense at third base.
Why the Yankees May Have Lost the Trade
Williams has looked better of late, allowing his last earned run almost three weeks ago in a 3-2 win against the Cleveland Guardians. His ERA sat at 9.00 on May 12, and it’s now down to 5.08. The two-time All-Star is averaging 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which would qualify as his lowest mark since 2019(9.2). Although he only pitched 13.2 innings that season.
While manager Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees feel better about where Williams is on the mound, the biggest concern may be their second base situation and bench depth. DJ LeMahieu is performing better offensively than many assumed he would, but Durbin would have been a great option off the bench to play third. On the days Durbin started, Jazz Chisholm Jr. could have moved back to his natural position at second base.
That’s the price the Yankees paid for acquiring one of the top relievers in baseball, who still has plenty of time to turn things around and help them win a World Series.
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