Devin Williams was pretty much a disaster last season for the New York Yankees. He went from being the Yankees closer for manager Aaron Boone to coming in as a mid-inning bridge pitcher.
It was not a good look for Williams, who had put together some impressive numbers before going to The Bronx.
Now, Williams is on the market and the Giants should take a look at picking him up. Even if it’s just on a one-year deal.
In looking at a number of free agents on the market, an article from The Athletic painted a picture of Williams’ good and bad points.
“With his famed ‘Airbender’ changeup, Williams was a two-time Reliever of the Year during his six seasons with the Brewers, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career with the Yankees,” according to the article from The Athletic.
“Removed from the closer role in April, Williams never regained his old form,” the article indicates. “His expected statistics suggest there was some bad luck involved, but Williams’ strikeout rate was a career-low 25 percent, and he was slightly more homer-prone than usual.
“Before last season, Williams was considered among the best relievers in baseball,” The Athletic article states. “He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2020 and earned All-Star nods in two of his six seasons with Milwaukee.
“In March of 2024, though, Williams was diagnosed with two stress fractures in his back and pitched just 22 times that season,” according to the article. “He was traded to the Yankees last winter and is hitting the open market a little more than a month after his 31st birthday.”
While the Giants are among the best landing spots, according to the article, two other teams are mentioned as possible new homes for Williams – the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins.
It’s possible that any one of those three teams sign Williams for a one-year contract valued at $18 million.
Because Williams has previous National League experience, he’s probably built up a knowledge base about some of those teams. The Giants could refresh Williams’ ideas when it comes to pitching against those teams.
They might even be able to take video of Williams pitching for the Brewers, compare it to his time with the Yankees, and point out issues that he can address.
Having Williams as an option out of the bullpen would help Giants manager Tony Vitello out a whole lot. If Williams could return to the National League and find his old patterns, then he’d be an excellent pick-up for San Francisco.
Let’s see if the Giants can get Williams at a sweetheart deal during free agency.
