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Yankees reportedly finalizing out-of-nowhere trade for Brewers superstar closer

Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Yanks Go Yard

Wild Card Series - Arizona Diamondbacks v Milwaukee Brewers - Game One / John Fisher/GettyImages

And just like that, the New York Yankees have proven that their 2024-25 offseason does not have to be entirely dependent on the outcome of the Astros' Kyle Tucker trade talks.

Out of literal nowhere on Friday, without a whisper preceding it, the Yankees reportedly finalized a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for All-Star (and all-world) closer Devin Williams.

While this transaction will undoubtedly result in a plethroa of Mets fans crawling out of the woodwork to show off their knowledge of extremely recent history and tout the Pete Alonso home run, fear not, Yankees fans. This trade gives the Yankees a significant upgrade in an area of dire need.

Yankees trade for Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams: reactions

According to Talkin' Yanks' Jake Storiale, the return involves left-handed starter Nestor Cortes Jr., as well as second base prospect Caleb Durbin, who theoretically had been the favorite for the Opening Day job in the Bronx.

But that's why you don't believe Brian Cashman when he speaks on prospect names. Quite often, he has subtler intentions.

Williams is entering his final season before free agency. This very well may be a "rental starter for rental closer, plus a prospect thrown in" deal, or it could expand significantly. Either way, the Yankees have added a reliever who's never posted an ERA above 2.50 in a full season, and can bend air with a one-of-a-kind changeup that rivals any pitch in the game.

So, what's next? While handing the second base reins to Durbin during a prime year for Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole felt risky, leaving the position completely empty is far riskier. Are the Yankees chasing someone for that spot, like Jorge Polanco or Brandon Lowe? Maybe they're signing Alex Bregman and moving Jazz Chisholm back to second? They were certainly still thought to be in that market on Friday morning.

Their chances of dealing Luis Gil to the Astros just decreased. Perhaps this was their plan to use their excess rotation depth all along.

Regardless, the Yankees just replaced Clay Holmes with quite possibly the highest upside play in the game. The team's next moves will be equally fascinating.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard for 6 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast thrice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for 10 years. He was also a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.