Why a Devin Williams Reunion Makes Sense

The Yankees should reunite with reliever Devin Williams.

The Athletic reported on Thursday morning that the Yankees are seeking a reunion with the free agent closer, and it's something the team should explore.

The Yankees go into this offseason with a closer, having David Bednar anchor the backend of the bullpen, which helps the shape of this offseason for Brian Cashman and his team.

In an interview with "Pitching Ninja", Devin Williams spoke about the difference in role, and how that does not matter to him, saying "At the end of the day, people love to talk about the seventh, the eighth, or the ninth, or 'the ninth is different', i've never viewed it like that, so I think a lot of times, especially this year when I was in the eighth inning I was getting the heart of the order, that's just the way it works out a lot of the time...it's just as valuable. At the end of the day, you need to get 27 outs."

Williams pitched to a 4.79 ERA in 2025, which is not the story for his season. His xERA sat at 3.11 and xFIP at 2.95, with the metrics still pointing to Williams as an elite reliever.

If Williams is open to coming back and pitching in a setup role, the Yankees bullpen could be among the best in baseball. Adding Williams back to the bullpen makes the Yankees a much better team. Now, one could say that the Yankees had Williams in 2025 and the bullpen was in the lower third in baseball, which is true. The Yankees coming into the season with a New York-tested closer, a setup man who showed progress, the ever-reliable Tim Hill, Filthy Fernando Cruz who when healthy is among the best strike-out relievers in the game, and that's without mentioning their depth.

Adding Williams and being pencils down will not work. The Yankees bullpen still needs another piece, preferably a lefty with velocity, which there is not much of on the free agent market. None the less, the Yankees need to add some relievers to be backend of their bullpen, and Williams could be the first step towards achieving that goal.