A new report has opened the door for the New York Yankees or New York Mets to land a huge upgrade for their bullpen in 2025.
October showed that New York had two of the best teams in baseball this season. While the Yankees and Mets’ road to the playoffs were very different, both clubs had the talent to compete for a World Series title in 2024. Yet, they each found out they were not better than the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets gave their best effort but they fell to the LA in six National League Championship Series games. As for the Yankees, they saw their season come to a close in just five after blowing a sizable 5-0 lead in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Dodgers.
The Dodgers batting order played a huge role in their championship this past season. However, both the Mets and Yankees saw how valuable a bullpen full of live arms with nasty stuff can be. The two teams will surely look to improve their own pens this winter. And a very talented reliever could soon be available.
- Devin Williams stats (2024): 22 games, 1.25 ERA, 0.969 WHIP, 38 SO, 21.2 IP
Could the New York Yankees or New York Mets target Devin Williams trade?
On Sunday, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan revealed that the Milwaukee Brewers surprisingly declined Devin Williams’ $10.5 million club option. Now, it doesn’t mean he is a free agent. He is still under team control for another season and is expected to earn around $8 to $9 million in arbitration this offseason.
However, Passan also added something interesting at the end of his X news post: “He’s a trade candidate, too.” It’s surprising the Brewers won’t try to hold on to a closer viewed as one of the best in the league. However, as a small market club, they likely don’t want to invest an eight-figure contract in a reliever after next season.
- Devin Williams contract (Projection): $9 million for 2025
The New York Yankees made a major change at the closer spot in September when they swapped out Clay Holmes for Luke Weaver after the former led MLB in blown saves last season. Weaver pitched well, especially in the postseason. However, bringing in a proven closer and moving Weaver back to the setup spot would be a big boost for the Yanks pen.
New York Mets fans are familiar with Williams after Pete Alonso stunned him with a three-run homer in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the Wild Card Series last month. The team already has a huge amount of money invested in Edwin Diaz. However, he was shaky last season, and having a dominant setup man and backup plan would be a smart move for the Amazin’s in 2025.