Three Devin Williams Trades To Fill The Brewers Third Base Needs In 2025

[Matt Breen]

The Brewers have a need at third base and seem likely to trade Devin Williams. Here are three teams that line up with their needs.

The Milwaukee Brewers have two holes in their 2025 roster. The first is an infield position with the expected loss of Willy Adames, and the second is rotation depth. This article will address the former. What follows are three proposals to acquire an infielder to try to make up for the loss of Adames. 

The Brewers must give up something of value to get something of value. So, each of these proposals will be centered around Devin Williams. The reason for this is the Brewers had one of the game’s best relief corps last year, and it looks like they could be exceptional again in 2025. That makes Williams a bit of a luxury.

Each proposal focuses on the primary players involved but may have to be fleshed out to be completed.

Trade Proposal #1

• Mets get Devin Williams, RP
• Brewers get Ronny Mauricio, INF

Mauricio missed all of 2024 with an ACL injury. Prior to that, he was a perennial top 100 prospect (generally ranking in the back half of the list). Mauricio has plus power, hitting 20 or more home runs each year from 2021-23. But he has a below-average hit tool, and his career walk rate is a weak 6.5%. Mauricio is a solid fielder with a very good arm. Where he would lineup for Milwaukee would depend; he has mostly played the middle infield slots, but he has some experience at third base where his strong arm would play well. Mauricio is a good prospect, not a great one. But he has six years of control and upside to go with the risk. Twenty home runs and a .250 BA aren't out of the question, but the team might have to be patient as Mauricio gets back up to speed after missing all of 2024.

The Mets would have to figure out the pecking order of Williams and Edwin Diaz, but that’s not a bad thing to have to worry about. No matter, Williams would go a long way to helping the Mets bullpen, which ranked 17th in the majors in 2024. 

Trade Proposal #2

• Phillies get Devin Williams, RP, and Tyler Black, OF
• Brewers get Alec Bohm, 3B

Let's start with Tyler Black. His best position is probably left field. The Brewers have a lot of outfielders: Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick. So unless the club feels Black can play first base regularly (or they give him consistent at-bats at designated hitter), he's expendable. 

The Phillies' bullpen was mediocre last season, and they will likely lose one of their top relievers, Jeff Hoffman. So Williams would fit in nicely for a team looking to go all the way in 2025.

Bohm would be controllable for two years and fill an obvious need at third (with Turang and Ortiz handling shortstop and second base). Bohm has hit between .274 and .280 in each of the past three years and should give the team 15-20 home runs. His defense has not been great, but improved dramatically in 2024. So if the team feels that improvement will stick, Bohm would nicely fill a position of great need. 

Trade Proposal #3

• Tigers get Devin Williams, RP, and Tyler Black, OF
• Brewers get Jace Jung, 3B

This idea is a stretch because the Tigers have no third baseman ready to step in without Jung. But there are rumors that Detroit might make a run at quality bat, and Alex Bregman is one of the best. Bregman would slot in nicely at third base for Detroit, offering exceptional all-around play. And if you want to connect some dots, Detroit's manager is former Houston skipper A.J. Hinch. Otherwise, Black would offer Detroit a potential left fielder to go with one of the game’s best closers in Williams. Jung - who generally falls in the latter half of Top 100 prospect lists - would get the first shot at the third base gig in Milwaukee. He is a former first-round pick and a solid bat in the minors, including above-average power. His 34-game stint with Detroit in 2024 was very mediocre - but not a disaster. His low salary and six years of control would be very attractive to Milwaukee.

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[SF70]

Of the 3, I’ll take trade #2.

The team needs a veteran 3B not one with serious development ahead of him. They don’t need a 6 years of control 3B when they have 2 of their top prospects potentially ready to play 3B in 2027.

Black is redundant and Williams expendable. The team already has the best young farm system in the game with another likely massive haul ahead in next years draft. The future is beyond bright, the time to win is now.

[jay87shot]

I feel like all 3 off these are short changing the value of Devin and/or Black. In my opinion, we should get a player like Mauricio and at least smaller 2nd piece. Devin at worst has 1/2 the value of Corbin from last year, I still also consider Black a top 100 prospect value, I know he is losing value but not to the point as a throw in like the Bohm/Jung deals.

[BlazingGunz]

I am a fan of Mauricio - think the D is good enough, has power, would fit really well.   Wouldn't mind a lower-level pitching prospect to come with him too.  Bohm is ok - just don't like the current asking price the Phillies are trying to get for him.   Jung's defense is brutal - he was getting pulled in games because it was so bad.   Maybe its better at 2B, but wouldn't think to move Turang off of position for him.

[rafa]

For the most part, I'm with SF70, for the same reasons mentioned. Bohm is a little up in the air but I'd still make the trade without Black. MLB TradeRumors didn't think the Brewers would make the Bohm for Devin trade straight up!  I would.

I absolutely do NOT want Mauricio, flip a coin and see if he works.  No way!  I would also go for the Jung trade.

One not mentioned here is the Rangers Josh Smith which I think could be had for the same Brewers package listed here.  He just won a 2024 Silver Slugger Award for Utility player though he mostly played 3rd base.

Tyler Black's trade value is down as Jay mentioned in his post, not far down but it's certainly not where it was this time last year.