Yankees Predicted To Cut Ties With 2-Time All-Star After Deadline Moves

The New York Yankees traded for David Bednar and Camilo Doval at the trade deadline. Those moves have direct implications for Devin Williams’ future in the Bronx.

The Yankees acquired Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason. For the Brewers, Williams was a dominant closer, a two-time All-Star and a two-time Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year. On the Yankees, he has been far from that.

He has a 5.01 ERA and was removed from the closer’s role for a while. He is a free agent after the season, while Bednar and Doval are both closers with club control past this year. FanSided’s Adam Weinrib predicted that Williams would be gone after this season.

“Relievers are inherently volatile, and while there’s been plenty of good with Williams in 2025 (54 Ks in 41 1/3 innings pitched, surprisingly low 1.137 WHIP), the Yankees’ most surprising trade of last offseason already felt like a one-year engagement before the trade deadline,” wrote Weinrib. “Now, with two high-profile options with closer experience arriving in Bednar (controlled through 2026) and Doval (through 2027), the Yankees are highly unlikely to even go through a song-and-dance with Williams this offseason, though they might risk tying the qualifying offer to him in order to receive another draft pick when he departs.”

Bednar and Doval did not look great in their Yankees debuts, but both have proven they can be All-Star closers in the big leagues. Williams can’t seem to find the magic he had in Milwaukee, and he should be able to find a lucrative deal in free agency.

The Yankees know he will have a strong market, even after a down year, and made sure to land not one but two potential replacements for him at closer.

More MLB: MLB Trade Deadline Gave This AL West Team Top-Notch Offense