Yankees trade for closer Devin Williams in stunner

The Yankees continue to reshape their roster in a post-Juan Soto world, acquiring closer Devin Williams on Friday from the Brewers to provide a tested and potent arm for the back of their bullpen.

Former All-Star lefty Nestor Cortes, minor-league second baseman Caleb Durbin and cash considerations were traded to Milwaukee to complete the deal.

“We’ve been talking to Milwaukee about Devin for it feels like years,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said on a Zoom call. “It feels like every trade deadline, every spring training we’ve had conversations with those guys, which have continued. And it’s nice to find a match.

“We did rob Peter to pay Paul, but we felt that the risk was worth doing given who Williams is.”

The right-handed Williams, the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, owns a 1.83 ERA, a 1.023 WHIP and a whopping 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings over 241 career relief appearances.

He pitched in just 22 games last season, however, after missing the first four months with stress fractures in his back.

Williams also surrendered a go-ahead three-run homer to Pete Alonso in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the NL wild-card round, advancing the Mets to the NLDS.

Williams, who earned $7.25 million in 2024, is eligible for arbitration this winter and can become a free agent next year.

But Cashman said the Yankees “haven’t thought about” signing him to an extension yet.

“We just believe that we’re better today than we were earlier today,” he said.

Williams and the arbitration-eligible Cortes, who went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) last season, are both projected to make $7.7 million in 2025, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Cashman believes the Yankees moved Cortes — a first-time All-Star in 2022 — from a position of strength after signing former Braves lefty Max Fried to an eight-year contract worth $218 million earlier this week in free agency, days after Soto’s defection to the Mets.

Even without Cortes, Fried gives the Yankees six potential starters along with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman.

As for the inclusion of Durbin, a potential internal candidate to replace free agent Gleyber Torres at second base, Cashman said the Yankees “had to weigh leaving that lane for him versus acquiring someone the level of Devin Williams, and we decided right or wrong, we just felt it was harder to acquire someone of the level of Devin Williams than it would be to try to acquire infield circumstances.”

Williams, a two-time winner of the Trevor Hoffman Award as the top reliever in the National League, certainly should bolster the back end of the bullpen for manager Aaron Boone.

The Yankees installed Luke Weaver as their closer late last season after two-time All-Star Clay Homes faltered.

Holmes signed with the Mets earlier in the offseason to convert to a starting role.

Earlier this week, the Yankees brought back reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, who also had generated interest from the Mets, on a one-year deal with a club option for 2026 after he was limited to three appearances last season due to injuries.

They also still have interest in a reunion with righty Tommy Kahnle, another free agent from last year’s relief corps.

Notably, the Yankees also are not expecting to be done making moves for position players following Soto’s departure for Queens in a landmark 15-year, $765 million deal.

The Yankees remain engaged in trade talks involving outfielders Cody Bellinger of the Cubs, and they still are interested in adding a first baseman such as Alonso or Arizona’s Christian Walker.

They also had expressed interest in Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker, but he was dealt Friday to the Cubs.

The Yankees are also expected to be involved in the competition for Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who is scheduled to meet with interested teams next week.