In his latest column for MLB.com, Thomas Harrigan listed who he considered to be the ten players who need to finish strong going into free agency. And two of them are members of the New York Yankees.
Harrigan cites outfielder Cody Bellinger and relief pitcher Devin Williams as being two big-name, big-responsibility players who will need big finishes to their season. Not just for the benefit of the Yankees, but also for themselves – both will be, or could be, free agents this winter, and
Cody Bellinger, OF, Yankees
The last time Bellinger reached free agency, after a stellar rebound season with the Cubs in 2023, there were still some lingering doubts about him stemming from his immense struggles across â21-22 (.611 OPS). He ended up returning to the Cubs after the start of Spring Training, signing a three-year, $80 million deal with a pair of opt-outs. Two years later, he is expected to make another run at free agency by declining his 2026 player option. His chances of eclipsing his last deal will be much greater if he avoids a season-ending slump like the one he had to start off 2025, slashing .198/.270/.340 over his first 30 games for the Yankees. Heâs put together an outstanding stretch since that point, hitting .297 with 21 homers and an .881 OPS in his past 92 games while providing strong defense at multiple positions.
Devin Williams, RP, Yankees
Given his success while pitching for the Brewers, it once seemed likely that Williams would challenge Edwin DÃazâs $102 million deal for the richest signed by a reliever in MLB history. His high-profile struggles with the Yankees this season have spoiled his walk year, but there will surely be multiple clubs willing to sign the 30-year-old to be their closer next year — even more so if he shows out during the final month of the year and re-emerges as a trusted member of manager Aaron Booneâs bullpen during the playoffs.
Yankees Closer Not Always Closing
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers last winter, Williams has been up-and-down in his first season as a Yankee. The 1.11 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 51.1 innings of work speak to decent underlying peripheries, but a 4.91 ERA and five losses speak to the struggles Williams has had closing games out. He has not been the sub-2.00 ERA player they traded for.
Williams’s return to form has been made more necessary by the announcement earlier today that set-up man Jonathan Loaisiga has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a flexor strain. Loaisiga – himself possibly entering free agency next summer, as the Yankees hold a $5 million club option for him for the 2026 season – will reportedly be able to avoid surgery, and thus should be back for 2026, but 2025 is ruled out, placing more responsibility on every remaining veteran arm.
At the last trade deadline, the Yankees were very active in the reliever market, acquiring each of Jake Bird, David Bednar and Camilo Doval to make sure they had enough arms to get through to Williams, as well as set-up man and relief closer Luke Weaver. Williams, though, is supposed to be the shut-down guy at the end. And all too often, he has not been.
Bellinger’s Bounce Back
Bellinger, meanwhile, has the relative luxury of having an option year on his contract. And in the view of Harrigan’s MLB.com colleague, Mark Feinsand, the rest of the league expects him to decline it and enter free agency.
Like Williams, Bellinger was also acquired last December, when he was salary-dumped by the Chicago Cubs. In contrast to Williams, however, it has been a good bounce-back season for Bellinger, who is hitting .283 with 26 home runs, 81 RBIs, and just 66 strikeouts in 481 at-bats. He is not quite back to his MVP-best, yet after a dreadful couple of seasons, Bellinger has rediscovered his composure at the plate.
In the highly-competitive American League East, the Yankees are four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays at the time of writing, and half a game back of the Boston Red Sox for second place in the division. They have a five game gap over the Kansas City Royals for the final Wild Card spot, and there should be postseason baseball at Yankee Stadium in some form this season. If Williams and Bellinger can crescendo just in time for free agency, though, it would really help to assuage any doubts – any World Series bid will need them both.
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