Aug 20, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) throws a pitch in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Yankees Talking With Free Agent Reliever

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Devin Williams had a tough season for the New York Yankees. He was highly inconsistent, and his 4.79 ERA was his worst by a large margin. To put into context how rough it got for Williams, he gave up 33 earned runs in 2025. He had not given up 33 runs in his career until his fourth season in the big leagues.

His bounce-back in September and the postseason salvaged what was otherwise the most challenging season of the free agent reliever's career. Now the question is where he will go.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Back to New York?

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Williams may still be Bronx-bound. However, he is attracting many suitors.

"The Yankees and the camp for free agent late-inning reliever Devin Williams recently discussed the potential for a possible reunion, league sources said," Rosenthal wrote. "Williams is garnering widespread interest, but the Yankees have at least maintained contact with the right-hander after he spent an up-and-down 2025 season in the Bronx."

Rosenthal then mentioned the clubs that could be interested in Williams' services.

"It's unclear how likely a reunion is with Williams, 31. In the closer market, Williams resides behind Edwin Díaz, likely in a tier with Robert Suarez," Rosenthal continued. "The Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets are among the teams that have been connected to Williams so far this offseason."

Williams Under the Hood

That ERA may have been the worst of Williams' career, but the underlying metrics show a pitcher who may have run into bad luck. It's not something Yankee fans want to hear, but there is reason to believe he can rebound in a big way in 2026.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Williams had a 3.11 expected ERA and 2.68 FIP. Opposing hitters had a .195 expected batting average as well.

Even with Williams' struggles, he still generated a ton of swings and misses. He had a 35% chase rate, 37.7% whiff rate, a 34.7% k rate, and drew a 35.7% hard hit rate. Williams also had a 45% groundball rate.

The changeup was still Williams' best pitch. According to Baseball Savant, it had a seven run value. It also had a 31.2% K rate, and opposing batters hit .194 against it. They had a .341 slugging and 29.9% hard hit rate as well.

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