Latest Devin Williams free agency nugget makes Yankees trade fit feel even worse

Last winter, the Yankees pulled off a shocker by thieving Brewers closer Devin Williams, seemingly out from under the noses of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even during Williams' introductory press appearance with the Yankees, he admitted that's where he thought he'd be going. As it turns out, though, Yankees vs. Dodgers may not be the loyalty battle that ultimately defines Williams. Instead, he appears to be wrestling between Big City vs. Staying Home.

According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Williams is an option again this offseason for the Dodgers' beleaguered bullpen. However, going to Los Angeles is not his preference, especially not after spending a season in the east coast's biggest spotlight.

As Nightengale wrote, "Rival teams have been told that if Williams has his druthers, the St. Louis native would love to stay in the Midwest. The Cincinnati Reds have already met with Williams’ representatives."

You can take a California kid and teach them to love New York - just look at CC Sabathia. Sometimes, people are yearning to get out of the midwest. But it's the Yankees front office's job to properly judge this. If Williams was the kind of guy who loved the comforts of being close to home, whether that be Milwaukee or another midwestern city of his choosing, throwing him directly into the fire of New York against his will - in his one and only walk year! - last season feels even crazier than it did at the time.

Devin Williams prefers to stay close to St. Louis in free agency. No wonder he struggled to adjust to the Yankees last year.

Williams was, notably, also coming directly off a playoff meltdown of epic proportions against the Mets at home. What better way to get your head right than by taking on an extreme challenge you never asked for?

Sometimes, money can cure discomfort. The Yankees and Sabathia seemed like a marriage that might not work, until the Yanks found enough cash to make the experiment worthwhile. They read that situation perfectly. Trading for Williams against his will, then tossing him directly into the closer role in New York, now feels like an even bigger misread of the situation. If you're not Mariano Rivera, you're going to have trouble with the fanbase here. If you're not Derek Jeter at shortstop, ditto. Williams eventually found his groove, striking out 90 men in 62 innings and getting unlucky to the tune of a 2.68 FIP/4.79 ERA.

By the end of the year - out of the ninth-inning role - Williams was firmly at the center of the circle of trust. But it took adjustment after adjustment to get there, with very little time on the clock before his inevitable departure. Caleb Durbin, who would've been around for the long haul and whose presence could've stopped the Yankees from adding Ryan McMahon's money, was almost certainly more valuable.