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The New York Yankees have seen enough from Devin Williams for the time being.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed to reporters on Sunday that he has decided to remove Williams from the closer role, via Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Boone added that the move is “for right now” and noted that fellow reliever Luke Weaver will likely handle the majority of the ninth-inning duties from here.
The decision by Boone comes after Williams had another meltdown in Friday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. In that contest, Williams came in with a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning and promptly allowed three earned runs on a two hits and a hit-by-pitch, failing to record a single out as the Yankees went on to lose 4-2.
Williams now owns a horrific 11.25 ERA over his 10 appearances for the Yankees so far this season. The veteran righty is also walking a lot of batters (seven free passes over eight innings pitched) and his K/9 is down to 9.0 (compared to his career mark of 14.1).
The Yankees gave up a good amount to acquire Williams, a two-time All-Star, in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers this past offseason. That included another former All-Star pitcher as well as some younger talent.
But the return on investment for the Yankees thus far on Williams has been poor. While the team likely just wants to give Williams some time to gain back his confidence in lower-leverage roles, that trade looks pretty bad right now, especially given that the Yankees have even done some notable pandering to Williams in recent months.
More must-reads:
- Re-evaluating the Yankees' Devin Williams trade one month into the season
- Why Yankees must move Devin Williams to setup immediately
- The 'MLB franchise home run leaders' quiz
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Mets' playoff chances in jeopardy after latest tough loss
The New York Mets have been in a slump for a couple of weeks now, and it is putting their playoff chances in some serious jeopardy. After Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves, the Mets have lost 13 of their past 15 games and have seen a once-comfortable lead in the wild-card race nearly completely disappear. Following Thursday's results, the Mets have the slimmest of leads over the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League, sitting just 0.5 games ahead of them. It is a stunning reversal from where things were just a little more than two weeks ago. On July 27, the Mets completed a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants to win their seventh game in a row and improve to 62-44 on the season. They were not only six games ahead of the Reds in the playoff race, but they were on top of the National League East (holding a 1.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies) and were just a half-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the National League. Now all of that is gone. As of Thursday night, the Mets trail the Phillies by five games in the NL East, they are 12.5 games back of the Brewers for the top spot in the NL overall and now only have half a game of cushion over the Reds. They also have the St. Louis Cardinals (3.5 back) right behind them and gaining ground. Manager Carlos Mendoza tried to remain optimistic while also acknowledging they are not playing well. The Mets' bats have been a big source of frustration during this slump, but it's not the only issue. The bullpen has also been a major problem, and key trade-deadline addition Ryan Helsley contributed to that on Thursday by giving up two runs in the top of the eighth inning to turn a 3-2 Mets lead into a 4-3 deficit. Whether it is the bats, the arms or the defense causing the problem, the common result remains the same — more losses. Now the Mets find themselves right in the thick of the playoff race, fighting for a spot. It was not that long ago that they seemed to be a playoff lock.
Jonathan Kuminga Posts Two-Word Message Amid Warriors Trade Drama
The Golden State Warriors have had their free agency headlines dominated by one individual name, Jonathan Kuminga. For what feels like an eternity, the Warriors have been stuck in a standstill with Kuminga. The 22-year-old forward believes he's capable of being a max contract player, but the Warriors don't seem to have maximizing him in their current timeline - that much was evident after the team traded for Jimmy Butler. It's clear that Kuminga does not want to be a member of the Golden State Warriors any longer. Every day, a new headline emerges coming from either side of the camp, but no resolution has been found. As the headlines have been growing, Kuminga gave a simple message on social media. "And at the buzzer, the Golden State Warriors will say, 'Alright, well, we can't afford to lose him for nothing, and Malik Monk and a protected pick, that's much better than nothing. So let's go ahead, do the deal, and be done with it.' " While the Bulls and Bucks have trade interest, it seems like the package that they want from the Golden State Warriors may not work financially. Does Kuminga Staying With the Warriors Make Sense? Realistically, Jonathan Kuminga staying with the Golden State Warriors does not make sense. He does not want to play for the team, and the team did not play him consistently after acquiring Jimmy Butler. Even during the playoffs, he was only really used as an emergency scenario. For a team as serious about winning as the Warriors, it does not make sense to keep a younger player who could potentially disrupt the chemistry. At the same time, it makes sense for the team to want to get the maximum value out of Kuminga and not trade him hastily.
Another Cowboys star could hold out amid Micah Parsons' contract drama
The Dallas Cowboys need to figure out what to do with Micah Parsons because whatever they're doing right now isn't working. Team owner Jerry Jones said he was willing to "stir the pot" when asked about Parsons' contract stalemate and trade request. Given Parsons' character, that may have rubbed him the wrong way. However, that's not the only contract situation they need to address. While everybody's focused on the Penn State product, CB DaRon Bland is also waiting for an extension of his own. More importantly, he recently said that he hoped it would get done before the Cowboys open the season on Sept. 4. "I do, but I'm not here to talk about it really too much," Bland told the team's website. "But yea, hopefully." Jerry and Stephen Jones aren't that fond of players setting deadlines for contract negotiations, and they've shown that they're willing to wait until the very last second to get a deal done, relationships be damned. Bland has been an instrumental piece of the Cowboys secondary, especially with fellow CB Trevon Diggs struggling with injuries. When asked about his goal for next season, he opened up about his desire to dominate opposite Diggs. "Always hopeful for both of us to be healthy first of all, and for both of us to show out on the field together. Can't wait until it happens," Bland said. Still, given the way the Cowboys have treated their stars and have dealt with contract situations, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see Bland also go to desperate measures to get what he's earned.
Three NFL teams facing Super Bowl-or-bust expectations in 2025
Saying a team is facing championship-or-bust expectations is a dangerous game. The odds are always stacked against any one team, no matter how talented they are, and every season ends with one team hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. However, that doesn't stop fans from placing those expectations on their respective teams each year, particularly those with a track record of recent consistent success. Let's take a closer look at three teams that stand out as having that championship-or-bust mentality. Buffalo Bills The Bills are near the top of the Super Bowl-or-bust list. They have been one of the NFL's best teams for the last six years, with quarterback Josh Allen leading the way and a strong defense. Still, Buffalo hasn't been able to break through and reach its first Super Bowl since 1993. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have repeatedly stood in their way. The Bills are searching for their first-ever Super Bowl title. Allen's tenure has seen the second-best stretch of success in franchise history, and if any group is going to get it done, it should be this one. The pressure isn't just on Buffalo as a team; it's also on Allen. Fair or not, quarterbacks are generally measured by rings — Allen needs his. Baltimore Ravens The Ravens are in a nearly identical situation to the Bills. Consistent contender, top-tier quarterback, strong defense and always sky-high expectations, but the Ravens have had even less playoff success in recent years than the Bills have. Baltimore has reached just one conference championship game during Lamar Jackson's career, having won just three total playoff games over the past seven seasons. Their playoff track record does not match the talent level or regular-season success the Ravens have had. Like Allen, Jackson must reach a Super Bowl to fortify his legacy in the NFL, and it's hard to imagine the roster surrounding him getting better than it is now. Detroit Lions The pressure on the Lions isn't quite the same as the Bills or Ravens, mainly because they are a relatively new contender in the NFL. They have made the playoffs two years in a row with their current core and haven't consistently fallen short in the playoffs the way Buffalo and Baltimore have. That doesn't mean expectations shouldn't be high. Not only are the Lions one of the NFL's darlings right now, given head coach Dan Campbell's personality, the creativity of the offense and talent on the roster, but they have been knocking on the door of a championship. They blew a three-score lead in the NFC Championship game two years ago to the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit followed that up by finishing with the NFL's best record in 2024 at 15-2, but did not win a single playoff game, losing 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round. The Lions, who have yet to appear in a Super Bowl, have never really had to deal with expectations throughout their history — they are now.
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