Closer Devin Williams has hit the free agent market after a turbulent season with the New York Yankees. He was one of the most reliable relievers in baseball prior to 2025, and though the surface numbers look bad, the numbers under the surface proved Williams was much better than what met the eye this season.
Williams, 30, debuted in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers and rose through the ranks in the bullpen. He began as a setup man behind closer Josh Hader, and when Hader was traded to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline, Williams took over the ninth inning. From July 2022 through the end of the 2024 season, Williams collected 65 saves while posting a combined ERA of 1.59. Though the performance was good in Milwaukee, Williams struggled with some injuries.
In December of 2024, the Brewers traded Williams to the Yankees. New York was looking to stabilize the ninth inning after Clay Holmes departed in free agency. The trade did not go as planned. From Opening Day, where he faced his former team, to his last outing, Williams did not have his best season. He often looked overmatched and nervous on the mound, especially at the start of the season. New York can be an unforgiving place if you let it be, but Williams did not.
After losing his closer’s job in May, Williams transitioned to the eighth inning. He excelled in that role, with an opponent’s OPS of .470, though the ERA was still high at 4.64. He moved back to the ninth inning for two months and was a bit better than in the early season. After faltering again towards the end of July, the Yankees made David Bednar the full-time closer.
Williams still had a somewhat solid season in New York, and a deeper look at his underlying metrics shows he was much better than many realized. Even with occasional command lapses, he continued to dominate contact; opponents posted a wOBA in the low-.220s against him, with an xwOBA that was even sharper, reflecting how rarely hitters squared him up. His elite changeup remained one of baseball’s most unhittable pitches, driving strong strikeout rates and consistently weak contact. While his ERA hovered higher than expected at times, his FIP and expected stats painted the picture of a reliever still performing at an All-Star level—one whose raw stuff and peripherals suggested that any surface-level volatility overstated his struggles.
Devin Williams enters free agency as one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in baseball, and his contract is expected to reflect that. Despite missing time with injuries and carrying some volatility inherent to relievers, he has consistently posted elite strikeout rates, microscopic ERAs, and some of the most deceptive stuff in baseball. His changeup — the famed “Airbender” — remains one of the highest-whiff pitches in the sport, and his underlying metrics (FIP, xERA, xwOBA) continue to support frontline bullpen value. Given the recent market for closers, like Josh Hader, Williams is projected to command a deal in the four-year, $60–68 million range. Williams could also get a deal with opt-out or escalator clauses with a contender. A shorter, higher-AAV contract (three years, $48–54 million) is also possible if teams view his workload history cautiously.
When it comes to suitors, several playoff hopefuls profile as ideal fits for Williams. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies both value swing-and-miss bullpen arms and have shown a willingness to spend on high-impact relievers. The Dodgers and Williams have already reported mutual interest. A return to the Yankees could make sense for both sides, but Williams would need to commit to being a setup man. The Toronto Blue Jays are also in the market for a closer and should have the payroll to spend.
Nathaniel Lowe is expected to be cut loose by the Red Sox this week. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)AP
The Red Sox have some roster cleanup due this week, with Tuesday marking the date by which teams need to add eligible prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 draft and Friday representing the annual non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players. Don’t expect Boston to clear a roster spot by cutting bait with a homegrown former All-Star starter, though.
At this point, Boston is unlikely to non-tender injured righty Tanner Houck, multiple sources said Monday. With a 40-man roster crunch coming, there was some thought that cutting bait with Houck was possible due to his current situation. Houck, who took home $3.95 million in 2025, is projected (by MLBTradeRumors’ widely used model) to take home the same salary in 2026, but is expected to miss most if not all of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. Considering the 2027 season is in jeopardy due to labor tensions and Houck is set to hit free agency after that year, the possibility existed that the Red Sox could non-tender (release) Houck into free agency to save a bit of money knowing he won’t be ready to pitch for most of 2026. But sources indicate the Red Sox plan to tender him a contract.
It’s unclear if the sides have talked about a creative long-term deal. Tendering Houck a contract would keep him under club control ahead of negotiations to avoid arbitration and set a 2026 salary later in the winter.
By Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, teams must add eligible prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from being poached in next month’s Rule 5 draft. The Red Sox, who have a full 40-man roster, don’t have a long list of candidates but are expected to make at least a move or two. Right-handed prospect David Sandlin is a virtual lock to be added, requiring at least one 40-man roster spot to be cleared. Lefties Shane Drohan and Hayden Mullins, righties Yordanny Monegro (injured) and Jedixson Paez and outfielder Miguel Bleis are among the other potential Rule 5 candidates in the organization. If the Red Sox want to make sure any of those players aren’t taken in the Rule 5 draft, they can add them. Doing so would require spots to be cleared.
Any roster spots that need to be cleared for prospect additions need to be opened simultaneously Tuesday, which is a day when small trades are usually made throughout baseball. Therefore, the Red Sox could get a jump on the Friday non-tender deadline (set for 8 p.m. ET) by moving on from players four days early. The non-tender date represents an opportunity for teams to cut bait with arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration-eligible players and send them into free agency. The Red Sox, unlike in previous years, could be busy on non-tender day.
The most obvious non-tender candidate on the roster is first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who is projected to earn $13.5 million in 2026. That mark represents much more than what he’d get on the open market after a down season that included him being cut by the Nationals. Lowe will almost certainly be lopped off the roster but could re-sign at a lower rate as he tests the open market. Boston is anticipating the healthy return of Triston Casas next season and is looking to upgrade the first base position via free agency or trade.
The Red Sox have seven other arbitration-eligible players and are certain to retain Kutter Crawford, Romy Gonzalez, Triston Casas and Brennan Bernardino at their low projected numbers. Connor Wong, who is projected to make $1.6 million in 2026, is expected to be tendered after Craig Breslow gave him a vote of confidence last week. Cooper Criswell already agreed to a one-year, $800,000 deal for 2026, removing him from non-tender consideration.
In addition to Lowe, the Red Sox could cut bait with some younger players on the roster. Righty Josh Winckowski (projected to make $800,000) is a candidate to be cut from the roster, as is lefty Jovani Morán. Tough roster decisions might be made with the utility group of Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton, Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard later in the winter but for now, those players are projected to be safe.