Could Reuniting Be A Win For Both Devin Williams And The Brewers?

[Harold Hutchison]

Devin Williams is slated to hit free agency after the 2025 season. Williams struggled with the Yankees, posting a 4.79 ERA – nearly three full runs over his career record with Milwaukee – and being demoted from the closer’s role, with the Bronx Bombers turning to David Bednar and Luke Weaver to fill the slot.

That being said, with the Brewers showing they can give pitchers new life (Jose Quintana being the latest example), it may behoove them to see if Williams would like to return. They’ve done this before with a closer – see Jeremy Jeffress, who ended up performing well for the Crew after having a rough time of it elsewhere.

Adding Williams back for at least 2026 could also be a good thing for Craig Yoho, who struggled in some of his appearances with Milwaukee in 2025. Yoho could stick in Triple-A Nashville for some more seasoning and adjustments – while also putting off further additions to his service time – and it could also help manage his innings.

Given Pat Murphy’s tendency to lean heavily on reliable arms, having Williams, who had an excellent track record with the Crew, may be a good way to avoid overuse of Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, Grant Anderson, and Nick Mears as well as giving Yoho the chance to develop.

As for Williams, a return to the Ueck would be a chance to show that 2025 is an aberration. A one-year deal (maybe with a mutual option for 2027) could be just the thing to set him up for a better free-agent deal.

The Brewers need arms Pat Murphy can trust. Williams needs a chance to bounce back from an off year. A 2026 reunion would be a potential win-win for both parties.

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[TURBO]

4 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

That being said, with the Brewers showing they can give pitchers new life (Carlos Quintana being the latest example), it may behoove them to see if Williams would like to return. They’ve done this before with a closer – see Jeremy Jeffress, who ended up performing well for the Crew after having a rough time of it elsewhere.

Who is this CARLOS Quintana you speak of?

I would not be interested in reuniting with Williams.  I don't think he's a good clubhouse presence, I don't think he is very likable, and I just don't want to deal with the roller coaster ride he will surely send us on throughout the season.

He'd have to be really cheap for me to even consider it, I mean REALLY cheap, and that isn't going to happen.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Who is this CARLOS Quintana you speak of?

I would not be interested in reuniting with Williams.  I don't think he's a good clubhouse presence, I don't think he is very likable, and I just don't want to deal with the roller coaster ride he will surely send us on throughout the season.

He'd have to be really cheap for me to even consider it, I mean REALLY cheap, and that isn't going to happen.

Woof, my mistake. I read right past that link and missed it was the wrong Quintana.

[RobertCrawley]

I would say no. Regular Season Devin is pretty good, but Playoff Devin has been less successful, although the same could be said for almost our entire hitting lineup.

[wissian]

Hard pass. I'm surprised we didn't see Yoho more in September. Let's give him a chance and we've already got a good group listed above. Just need Murph to give some of the non-A squad some more chances so the A squad isn't burned out by the end of the season. 

[Lathund]

I don't see the fit. Yes he had a down year with the Yankees, but I don't think it has hurt is value to the point that the Brewers would be interested. They signed Feliz for $5m in 2017, Boone Logan for $3m-ish in 2018, and haven't gone above that since for a free agent reliever. So they don't believe in spending there. And while Williams ERA was bad, basically every other metric still looked fine. He's not getting Diaz/Hader money if he sings this offseason, but he's getting a pretty good deal. And if he takes a 1-year deal in order to build up value, it'll probably still be for 8 figures. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

19 minutes ago, wissian said:

Hard pass. I'm surprised we didn't see Yoho more in September. Let's give him a chance and we've already got a good group listed above. Just need Murph to give some of the non-A squad some more chances so the A squad isn't burned out by the end of the season. 

Welcome to Brewer Fanatic!

[Harold Hutchison]

41 minutes ago, RobertCrawley said:

I would say no. Regular Season Devin is pretty good, but Playoff Devin has been less successful, although the same could be said for almost our entire hitting lineup.

Regular Season Devin means Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, and Grant Anderson aren't each pitching more than 65 games in the regular season. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

Regular Season Devin means Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, and Grant Anderson aren't each pitching more than 65 games in the regular season. 

While that's true, Pat Murphy also needs to use his best relievers less often. Hopefully he learned a lesson this postseason.

[HarryDoyle]

No thanks.

[adambr2]

8 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

While that's true, Pat Murphy also needs to use his best relievers less often. Hopefully he learned a lesson this postseason.

But you can use your best relievers less often if your secondary relievers are better, I think was his main point. 

I find it a little surprising that Miz never seemed to wear down? He threw his best innings in the playoffs. And we rode him far beyond what I thought would be his comfortable innings limit this year. 

So I wonder if they are comfortable dialing him up to 170 next year.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, adambr2 said:

But you can use your best relievers less often if your secondary relievers are better, I think was his main point. 

30 teams in baseball feel that way, yet most still use their secondary guys. And it's not as if the Brewers' secondary guys are bad, they're actually quite good.

[sveumrules]

29 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

Regular Season Devin means Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, and Grant Anderson aren't each pitching more than 65 games in the regular season. 

The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mariners, Phillies, and Reds joined the Brewers among playoff teams that had three relievers at 65 or more games.

The Padres had five guys with at least 65 games who helped their bullpen put up +10.68 WPA, 10.5 rWAR and 7.6 fWAR which were all tops in MLB.

The Yankees had two over 65 plus two more at 64/59, the Tigers had two over 65 plus a third at 64, the Red Sox had two over 65 games plus two more at 62/61, the the Guardians had two over 65 plus two more at 63/57, Cubs had two over 65 games and a third at 57.

That’s all twelve playoff teams this year with at least two guys making 65 or more appearances.

I would guess most seasons follow a similar pattern.

[adambr2]

26 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

30 teams in baseball feel that way, yet most still use their secondary guys. And it's not as if the Brewers' secondary guys are bad, they're actually quite good.

Which secondary guys in particular do you think didn’t get enough work? It’s not like Koenig and Grant Anderson didn’t also get ridden pretty hard. Mears a little less so but that was partly because of the IL stint and he was definitely wearing down late. 

[gregmag]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

I don't think he's a good clubhouse presence, I don't think he is very likable, and I just don't want to deal with the roller coaster ride he will surely send us on throughout the season.

What is your basis for all this insinuation?

[brewmann04]

Hard pass 

[SF70]

No thanks.

Bad vibes with choking away the ‘24 series vs the Mets and “punching a wall” a few postseasons before that and hurting their chances to advance vs the Braves.

[long ball]

Did anyone read the New York Post article about Devin Williams the other day? I’m not a subscriber so I couldnt read it, but Heyman alluded to Williams being a difficult personality in his tweet teaser. 
 

I think this thread already brings up enough reasons why he probably isn’t a fit for this roster. I’ll share another that hasn’t been posted yet. 
 

we need some roster flexibility. We have 3 long stretches without an off day next year. 
 

if our core pen is Megill, Ashby, Hall, Koenig, and Uribe. That leaves 3 spots. 
 

we already have Anderson, Mears, and Zastryzny who are out of options. Some or all of these guys might get moved this off season as is. I’m guessing only 1 of these guys lasts to opening day. 
 

we also have the pre-arb starters who don’t end up in the rotation but might be too good to stash in aaa. Probably at least 2 of Gasser, Henderson, Patrick, and Myers. 
 

I think they’ll need to keep at least that 8th bullpen spot fluid through the season for the aaa shuttle squad. 
 

by adding Williams (or really any other reliever who can’t be optioned) that really puts us in a roster crunch given the way we use our pitchers. 

[wiguy94]

Devin will get much more money this offseason than the Brewers would ever pay a RP 

[torts]

Love Devin but I hope not, bullpen is not something we need to invest in

[folly412]

Bullpen is the last place we should be spending the little money we spend.  Get Yoho and Yeager up, find a couple more MiLB free agents, perhaps a one year deal with a veteran and we're good enough.  

[Jim French Stepstool]

34 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Devin will get much more money this offseason than the Brewers would ever pay a RP 

Yeah, even if he was more affordable than we may think, he still wouldn't be cheap & we don't have an established history of signing guys like that for the BP.

And we don't know how effective Craig Yoho can be, but whatever his level is I don't think he needs any more seasoning.

[TURBO]

3 hours ago, gregmag said:

What is your basis for all this insinuation?

I don't have any quotable sources, but I've read over the years that he can be a difficult teammate.  Understandable, really, he puts out a bit of a selfish vibe if you ask me.

As far as him being likeable, that is an opinion, I have never quite been able to warm up to him as a person.  He just isn't a guy that you immediately can get behind, like I said, it's an opinion.

The roller coaster comment I made, isn't that pretty self explanatory?  Did you not watch the guy in a Brewers uniform?  Have you seen the season he just had with the Yankees, in a contract year no less?

I don't want him back, been there done that.  He isn't one of our greatest needs, and the money it would cost us, I'd rather put someplace else.

[jw5511986]

Unless he's coming for whatever the equivalent of a vet minimum is and good with spot duty (ie not 8th or 9th inning) I'm the loudest of No's

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, folly412 said:

Bullpen is the last place we should be spending the little money we spend.  Get Yoho and Yeager up, find a couple more MiLB free agents, perhaps a one year deal with a veteran and we're good enough.  

I actually strongly disagree. I wanted Chapman last year(also a little bit Yoan Moncada, but mostly Chapman) and this year, I'd love Hensley or someone else.

I don't think we're out of the woods with Megill and we didn't trust Mears in the NLCS. 

9 hours ago, adambr2 said:

I find it a little surprising that Miz never seemed to wear down? He threw his best innings in the playoffs. And we rode him far beyond what I thought would be his comfortable innings limit this year. 

So I wonder if they are comfortable dialing him up to 170 next year.

I think the shorter outings, the stint on the IL(which I don't think we do if we're 3 games behind happens) all contributed to that.

That kid... MAN, he really has me set up for disappointment next year.

I never lost faith.... that he'd be a great pitcher for us. I had very little faith he'd be a reliable arm out of the pen. 

 

7 hours ago, long ball said:

if our core pen is Megill, Ashby, Hall, Koenig, and Uribe. That leaves 3 spots. 

Megill had that dreaded "flexor" strain that... should give you a little pause and Ashby may well be moved into the starting rotation.

Now this isn't me advocating for Devin Williams, but it IS me advocating for a Ryan Helsley IF.. you could get him for ~8M or less. 

Kyle Finnegan may be an even better option with his GB heavy approach and likely cheaper price tag... though I'd bet each are out of our price range.

The Dodgers seem like an obvious choice for Hesley at 3/45 or so and I'd guess Finnegan could get a 3/27 type deal.