Devin Williams pushing limits of Yankees' facial hair policy with spring training arrival

What will brand new Yankees closer Devin Williams look like without facial hair? Eager fans will have to wait at least one more day to find out.

Williams, along with the rest of the Yankees' pitchers and catchers (and Marcus Stroman, who's somewhere in between a Yankee and not), reported to camp in Tampa, FL on Tuesday morning, wandering the long hallway past gathered media as the starting point of year-long journey.

The 30-year-old former Brewers closer came to the Yankees somewhat unexpectedly this offseason, in exchange for Nestor Cortes Jr. and Caleb Durbin. He admitted in his first media availability that he thought he'd be a Dodger. He's reportedly open to signing an extension with the Yankees, but the numbers must make sense, and the year must play itself out first.

Notably, that future's been hard to see, not just because of his escalating price in the wake of Tanner Scott's deal, but also because ... the man has a gigantic bushy beard. He always has. He always ... will? He certainly showed up on Tuesday morning rocking his typical style, and we can't help but give him a "Hell yeah" for pushing the limits before confronting the reality that it's gotta go.

Or maybe it doesn't? It shouldn't. But it does, right?

Yankees new closer Devin Williams reported to spring training in Tampa with a full beard (and that's good)

Williams' final season as a Brewer consisted of just 22 games (21 2/3 regular-season innings), felled by lower back stress fractures, but when he was active, he was still brilliant. He whiffed 38. He carried an 0.969 WHIP. He was still very much at the peak of his powers.

And yet, the second he shaves off his trademark facial hair, he'll resemble 2013 Kevin Youkilis, even though his game is still elite.

The rumors of the Yankees' facial hair policy holding them back in free agency sound legitimate. After all, it's not just beards. It's long hair. It's changes in style commensurate with the age of experimentation we live in. It's free expression. Maybe Williams will be a test case for positivity moving forward. Or maybe he just wanted one last walk down that long, dark hallway before encountering a smiling, simmering Hal holding a razor in the clubhouse.