The New York Yankees lost their lead in the American League East, but seem to be doing everything necessary to reclaim it. Devin Williams looks to finally be a consistent part of that plan.
Williams’ early goings with his new team were not so great. He had an 11.25 ERA in his first 10 games and was removed from the closer’s role. However, when Luke Weaver went down, Williams reclaimed the job and has looked more like the All-Star he was with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Since becoming the closer again, Williams has a 2.13 ERA and has picked up eight saves. He pitched a perfect 10th inning in the Yankees’ comeback win over the Seattle Mariners, leaving the automatic runner stranded at second base. He seemed poised to reclaim the closer job, as there were signs that he was turning a corner even when he was pitching outside of the ninth inning. He has not allowed a run in 21 of his last 24 outings.
Williams has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball over the last few years. Now that he is playing like a player the team would want to keep, he spoke about signing an extension with the Yankees, according to NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch.
“They’re the ones who would have to offer me a contract, but I’m open to anything,” Williams said. “I’d be cool with that.”
Williams noted earlier in the season that he has started calling his own pitches, which has played a role in his turnaround. He is a two-time Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year, and is showing fans why the Yankees gave up Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin to get him. However, he will be a free agent after the season, and the Yankees may want to start thinking about paying him, or else they will have traded two players for a rental.
Williams was traded from the Brewers mainly because the Brewers knew they could not afford him when he hit the open market. They decided to maximize his value and get some players in return. Early in the year, it looked like the Brewers had won the trade with ease. However, Williams is dominating again, and if the Yankees keep him around, they could easily say they won the trade.
More MLB: Yankees make Anthony Volpe decision following DJ LeMahieu release
