Last offseason, the Los Angeles showed enough interest in right-handed relief pitcher Devin Williams that they thought the multiple All-Star would ultimately stay in Los Angeles.
More news: The are expected to acquire a capable reliever in free agency.
“I knew I was going to go to Los Angeles,” Williams said at his news conference joining the New York Yankees after being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers. “That’s what I was told. And the Yankees snuck under the table and made the deal.”
Maybe he was a year ahead of schedule.
Williams is coming off a slow year with the Yankees and is now a free agent for the first time in his career. He’s one of the best talents in baseball, and even at age 31, he’s a two-time All-Star and has a lot of interest around the league.
The are one of many teams interested in Williams. According to The Athletic, about 12 teams, including the , have expressed interest in the right-hander. Others include the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox.
“There appears to be mutual interest between the two parties early on in Williams’ first foray into free agency,” Fabian Aldaya said.
Williams had the worst year of his career in 2025, posting a 4.79 ERA in 67 games. However, his strikeout numbers (90 strikeouts in 62 innings) were still exceptional, indicating that much better was expected and there was some bad luck.
Williams had an expected ERA of 3.09 and an expected opponent batting average of .195. He was among the top pitchers in pursuit rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate.
Williams had an ERA under 2.00 in each of the past three years through 2025, and has never had an ERA over 2.50 since his rookie year. Despite his down season in 2025, he had a strong year-end that should earn him a solid contract in free agency.
The are expected to be in the thick of it in 2025 as they look to strengthen their bullpen, which has been the team’s main weakness.
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Photo by Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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