How close were the New York Yankees to acquiring a different closer than Devin Williams this past offseason?
Williams, whom the Yanks poached from the Milwaukee Brewers via trade, has been a disappointment so far in 2025 (that might even be an understatement).
It should be noted that after a ridiculously rough start, however, Williams has bounced back and is starting to gain some momentum with a few respectable outings. Put it this way — Williams’s ERA was over 10 for a period this season, and it’s now down to 6.53.
Does the Yankees front office regret going after Williams instead of Los Angeles Dodgers closer Tanner Scott?
A new report from New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips reveals that New York showed near-zero or zero interest in Scott over the winter.
“The club didn’t show serious interest in the Dodgers’ closer over the winter,” Phillips wrote.
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“Scott told the Daily News that the Yankees never met with or spoke to him. “I heard at the beginning they were interested,” the lefty said. “And then after the Devin Williams trade, I figured I probably wasn’t going to hear from them.”
Phillips also wondered what the Yankees would look like with Scott instead of Williams, revealing via New York’s pitching coach that the Yanks did indeed have some interest in Scott.
“Perhaps the Dodgers would have dealt for Williams and the Yankees would have made a stronger run at Scott in an alternate universe,” Phillips wrote. “While the Bombers have typically avoided big-money contracts for relievers, pitching coach Matt Blake said they had preliminary interest in Scott.”
“Scott entered free agency as a first-time All-Star, recording a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves over 72 games with the Marlins and Padres last season. He has 10 saves and a 4.56 ERA with the Dodgers so far.”
As far as Williams goes, the ex-Brewers All-Star still has around 100 games to turn things around. The beauty of Major League Baseball — especially if you’re playing for a contender — is that you can stink all season long as a player and still carve out a positive place in history by performing when it matters in the postseason.
If Williams is ready to go in September and October and delivers, none of his struggles over the past two months will matter much.
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