A third of MLB teams have reportedly contacted free-agent reliever Devin Williams

MLB free agency is still in its early stages, with teams mainly exploring options rather than negotiating contracts. That shift will come soon, but former New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams has already attracted interest from a third of the league despite having one of the worst seasons of his career in 2025. 

According to a report from Gary Phillips at the New York Daily News, at least 10 teams have already contacted Williams.

Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be in the mix, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, who notes the team attempted to trade for Williams last offseason before the Milwaukee Brewers sent him to the Yankees instead. Los Angeles relied mainly on converted starters Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki in late-inning relief throughout the postseason, but expects Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol and Brock Stewart to all return from injury next season.  

The Miami Marlins were also reported to be targeting Williams in late October. 

Yankees did not extend qualifying offer to Devin Williams

Williams has not ruled out a reunion with the Yankees, but it’s uncertain how aggressively the team will pursue re-signing the 31-year-old. New York did not extend Williams a qualifying offer, which surprised many.  

New York has seen several pitchers reach free agency this month — including Luke Weaver, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough and Jonathan Loaisiga — and will need to look outside the organization to replace them. 

The Yankees traded left-hander Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin (who finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting) to the Brewers in December 2024 to acquire Williams. The team expected him to hold down the backend of the bullpen. 

However, ineffectiveness and inconsistency led to Williams being removed from the closer role on two separate occasions. His performance then prompted the Yankees to acquire David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline. Overall, Williams had a 4.79 ERA (85 ERA+) over 62 innings pitched in 2025. His ERA, hits allowed (45) and earned runs (33) all marked career worsts.