The Milwaukee Brewers declined closer Devin Williams' 2025 club option for $10.5 million on Sunday, according to a source. Williams will instead receive a $250,000 buyout. He will remain with the Brewers and will be in his final year of salary arbitration while expected to make $8-9 million in 2025. Williams will also be a trade candidate this winter. The 30-year-old right-hander missed the entire first half of the 2024 season due to a serious back injury, but when he returned, he was once again lights-out for the Brew Crew with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves, 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings during 22 regular-season outings out of the bullpen. A trade out of Milwaukee could make Williams less attractive from a fantasy perspective, depending on where he lands, but if he stays with the Brewers, he'll be an elite fantasy closing option in 2025.
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold hinted that the team would be open to trading closer Devin Williams as he enters the final year of club control in 2025. "We have to stay open-minded. We're the smallest market in the league, so that's something that's required in this," Arnold said. The GM also said that Williams was "unbelievable" in the second half of the season and shouldn't be defined by one bad pitch in the Game 3 loss to the New York Mets in the Wild-Card Series. The two-time All-Star didn't make his 2024 debut until July 28 due to a back injury, but Williams was once again on point in the second half once he returned, posting a 1.25 ERA (2.06 FIP), 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves, 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. He went out on a sour note in the Game 3 loss, though, yielding four earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning in a blown save to end the season.
Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams had a disastrous appearance on Thursday, blowing the save and taking the loss in a 4-2 defeat against the New York Mets in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. Williams allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning. The Airbender has been nails since his mid-season return from injury, but he came up short at the worst possible time for the Crew, who will head home for the offseason. Williams should be back in 2025 as the Brewers' closer, but it will be tough for him to forget this one.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said the reasoning for sticking with left-hander Jared Koenig in the extra-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday was because the team was closely monitoring closer Devin Williams' workload and wanted to get him up in case there was a spot to face a hitter or two, at the most. Williams got up in the bullpen but then sat back down, and the Brewers felt good about Koenig's chances after a clean ninth inning. However, Koenig proceeded to allow three runs (two earned) on four hits to take the loss. Williams got up in the bullpen two separate times but ultimately was not used after pitching last Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star missed all of the first half due to a back injury but has been great with a 1.53 ERA, 12 saves and 32 strikeouts in 17 2/3 relief innings in the second half.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that closer Devin Williams (shoulder) is dealing with a left-shoulder injury. "He got up this morning and his left shoulder, he didn't feel right," Murphy said. The Brewers had the day off on Monday, so it's unclear if the injury to Williams' non-throwing shoulder will require him to be unavailable when the team's series starts on Tuesday against the visiting San Francisco Giants. The injury did keep the 29-year-old from appearing in Sunday's series finale against the Oakland Athletics, though, after he felt a pinch when he woke up on Sunday, likely a result of sleeping on his arm wrong. For now, consider Williams to be day-to-day. If he cannot pitch to start the series against San Francisco or if he ends up on the injured list, right-hander Trevor Megill would likely see any save chances that pop up for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams earned his fifth save of the season as his team beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2. Williams allowed two hits and struck out the side in the ninth inning. Williams, who missed most of the season recovering from a back injury, has not missed a beat since returning at the end of July. In eight games (8 IP), he has a 1.13 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, 14 K, and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities. He looks like he's back to his old self and has regained his title as one of the game's best relief pitchers.
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Devin Williams tossed a scoreless ninth inning to preserve a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Williams did not allow a baserunner while notching one strikeout in the frame. The 29-year-old was just activated from the 60-day injured list on July 28 after he missed most of the year with a stress fracture in his back. He has looked solid in the ninth-inning role for the Brewers so far, having allowed just one run over five innings of work while striking out nine and picking up two saves. Williams should be a good source of saves for the NL Central-leading Brewers over the remainder of the season.
Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams (back) has been activated off the 60-day IL and will make his 2024 season debut on Sunday afternoon against the Miami Marlins. Williams was sidelined during the first four months of the season due to multiple stress fractures in his back. The right-hander made four rehab appearances over the past two weeks and tossed four shutout innings with six punchouts. Last season, the 29-year-old was one of the best closers in fantasy, boasting a 1.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 28:97 BB:K ratio. Williams should immediately be put into your starting lineup and has a strong chance to tally the most saves during the remainder of the summer.
Devin Williams Expected To Return "In The Next Few Days"
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said on Friday that closer Devin Williams (back) is expected to come off the 60-day injured list "in the next few days." Williams missed the entire first half of the 2024 season due to multiple stress fractures in his back, but he's worked his way back and is now on the cusp of rejoining Milwaukee's bullpen. While the 29-year-old could be eased back into high-leverage situations at the end of the game, he's fully expected to return to full-time closing duties in Milwaukee when the club feels he's ready. It means that fantasy managers that have been riding Trevor Megill all year are going to have to move in another direction soon. Williams was an All-Star in each of the last two years for the Brew Crew while posting a stingy 1.73 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, 51 saves and a 183:58 K:BB in 119 1/3 innings. If he's on your league's waiver wire, grab him ASAP.
Devin Williams To Start Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams (back) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin on Saturday, according to the team. Williams threw a live batting practice session on Tuesday and has now been cleared to start a rehab assignment as he works his way back from two stress fractures in his back. The 29-year-old right-handed reliever has been out all year and probably isn't going to rejoin Milwaukee's bullpen right away after next week's All-Star break, but he's certainly getting close to making his 2024 debut. However, barring a setback, Williams could come off the 60-day injured in late July and will be eased back into regular closing duties for the Brew Crew. The two-time All-Star should be stashed in all fantasy leagues. In the meantime, Trevor Megill will continue to serve as Milwaukee's fill-in closer.
Devin Williams
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Brewers
