Blue Jays lose out on elite closer to division rival
So much for Devin Williams coming to the Blue Jays
As first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Milwaukee Brewers All-Star is heading to New York.
As my colleague Nick Bajada had suggested in previous piece,
Williams could have been the answer for Toronto's bullpen woes.
Additionally, while it was unknown whether or not the Blue Jays and Brewers had engaged in any serious talks involving Williams, many analysts suggested that Williams would be a good fit for Toronto.
Instead, the Jays will see plenty of Williams now that he is in their division as a member of the Yankees.
In return for Williams, the Yankees sent pitcher Nestor Cortes and second baseman Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee.
While Jays fans may breathe a sigh of relief in not having to face Cortes with any regularity this season, Blue Jays hitters will have to stare down Williams should they be trailing the Yankees in the 9th inning.
Williams was injured for part of 2024 and only compiled 14 saves. For his career however, Williams has 68 career saves after becoming Milwaukee's closer midway through the 2022 season.
A two-time All Star, Williams was also named NL Rookie of the Year in 2020 after he went 4-1 with an 0.33 ERA in 22 games. That same year he was also named NL Reliever of the Year and was named to the ALL-MLB 2nd Team.
Although he debuted in 2019, Williams has become an elite closer in the last couple of seasons.
With Williams now off the table it is unknown if the Blue Jays will pursue a back-end closer, though one name that has been suggested is the Astros Ryan Pressly.
What is clear though, is that Blue Jays aren't finished yet.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 13 | 221 ANSWERS Blue Jays lose out on elite closer to division rival Who should close for the blue jays next year? | ||
| Chad Green | 44 | 19.9 % |
| Ryan Pressly | 23 | 10.4 % |
| Yimi Garcia | 93 | 42.1 % |
| someone else | 61 | 27.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
