Could Brewers Be Loading Up Bullpen Only to Trade Devin Williams?

On its surface, trading for right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke Thursday seems like an innocuous move by Brewers head honcho Matt Arnold. It might still turn out that way. As relief options pile up, though, the deal has stirred up a little speculation about the future of Devin Williams with the Crew. The bullpen is a perennial strength in Milwaukee, and they do seem to have the arms to weather the loss of the reigning Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year.

Clarke has one minor-league option year left, so he doesn't muddy the waters all that much. He'd be overqualified for a job as pure minor-league depth, though, especially because he's on the 40-man roster. That reserve list already has 21 pitchers on it, and that doesn't include Robert Gasser, who figures to push his way into the mix at some point very early in 2024. While Clarke can be optioned, fellow recent acquisition Joe Ross can not be. Nor can Bryse Wilson, another key member of (ostensibly) the long relief corps for the team. 

By no means are the Brewers cornered into any kind of move. Both Thyago Vieira and J.B. Bukauskas are out of options, but they're the kind of fungible hurlers a team can jettison to make room on the roster whenever the need to do so becomes urgent. You can always replace a Vieira or a Bukauskas, and for that matter, the same goes for Clayton Andrews, even though he has options left. Aaron Ashby remains optionable. So does Janson Junk.

Looking at the whole picture, though, it feels primed for a big trade. That could come from the rotation, instead. Rumors about Corbin Burnes' chances of being dealt continue to conflict with one another, but they aren't going away altogether. If it did turn out to be a bullpen move, though, trading Williams would be a fascinating one. We covered the potential shape of a Williams deal earlier this offseason, in our Brewer Fanatic Offseason Handbook, which you can still get by signing up to be a Caretaker today. The gist of any Williams deal would need to be multiple high-value pieces coming back for the Brewers.

Of course, that classification is subjective, and finding just the right package is difficult. Teams are more willing to part with pitching prospects than with hitters they believe can make the jump to the big leagues and become stars, but the Brewers would surely prefer to find a position player. With two years of team control left, Williams is uniquely valuable; few elite closers become available at this stage of their careers. The Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Dodgers, Yankees, Rangers, and Blue Jays all seem like interesting potential suitors for him. 

If the right trade offer did come through, Arnold and new skipper Pat Murphy would probably feel comfortable moving Williams, because they have a few good alternatives to finish games if needed. Trevor Megill's breakout in the second half last year is of special note, but the team could start the season with Joel Payamps in the closer's role and just see how Megill and Abner Uribe do while they're getting settled into full-time big-league roles. 

The roster math isn't yet forcing the Brewers' hand. Arnold has played it smart. They'll still have leverage in any trade talks that take place from here, unless they somehow add another pitcher along the way. They could keep almost all of these guys (and all the genuinely important ones), or they could look to make smaller moves, like trading Wilson to a team who views him as a starter or higher-leverage reliever, turning a profit on the tiny deal they made for him last winter. 

For maximum long-term impact, though, Arnold would need to trade either Burnes or Williams. Whether he feels that that kind of risky, high-impact move is worth what it would cost his competitive team in the short term will be an interesting question. Within the month, we're likely to have our answer. Even if Williams isn't dealt now, though, he could also be a candidate for a Josh Hader-like move come July. (I kniow, I know.)

What would it take to get you interested in a Williams trade? Should the Brewers be shopping their relief ace? Let's sift through the ramifications of the team's recent pitching additions together.