Yankees Acquire Devin Williams From Brewers For Nestor Cortes & Caleb Durbin
Image credit: Devin Williams (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
With reliever Clay Holmes departing for the Mets, the Yankees needed a little more beef for their bullpen. To that end, they swung a trade with the Brewers to acquire closer Devin Williams, effectively replacing one all-star with another.
To bring Williams to New York, the Yankees sent all-star lefthander Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee. The move also frees two spots on New York’s 40-man roster.
YANKEES RECEIVE
Devin Williams, RHP
Age: 30
Williams debuted in 2019 but did not fully break out until 2020, when he assumed the Brewers’ closer role, won the National League’s Rookie of the Year award and earned votes for both Cy Young and MVP. Since then, he’s been one of the best closers in the sport, with durability being the only pockmark on his ledger. Known for his elite changeup, Williams has racked up 68 saves over six big league seasons and struck out 375 hitters in 235.2 innings. He will combine with Luke Weaver to form a nasty one-two punch at the back of New York’s bullpen. Williams is a free agent after the 2025 season.
BREWERS RECEIVE
Nestor Cortes, LHP
Age: 30
Cortes started his career in the Yankees’ system but made his big league debut with Baltimore in 2018. He was back with New York the next season, then spent 2020 with the Mariners before returning to the Yankees in 2021. He’s pitched the last four seasons in pinstripes and made the 2022 all-star team. Cortes’ upswing came when he added more velocity to his arsenal, though he still doesn’t have blow-away stuff. Instead, he relies on pitchability and deception to get his outs—occasionally employing unorthodox deliveries to throw off hitters’ timing. He’s a perfect back-end starter and is under team control for one more season.
Caleb Durbin, 2B
Age: 24
Durbin was drafted by the Braves in 2021 and shipped to the Yankees in the 2022 deal that sent reliever Lucas Luetge to Atlanta. The infielder has been excellent in each of the last two seasons at Triple-A, as well as in back-to-back standout campaigns in the Arizona Fall League. He missed roughly two months with a right wrist injury suffered on a hit-by-pitch. Scouts see Durbin as a player who gets the most out of his tools. He does an excellent job putting the bat on the ball, though his approach can get a bit aggressive at times. He’s a plus runner who recently broke the AFL’s stolen base record. The righty swinger has moved around the diamond—even getting some outfield exposure in Arizona—and would fit best as a high-contact utility man who can man second or third base with aplomb.
