Brewers trade All-Star closer Williams to Yankees for Cortes, prospect
The Milwaukee Brewers traded two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees for left-handed starter Nestor Cortes, second base prospect Caleb Durbin, and cash considerations, the teams announced Friday.
The Yankees are also sending $2 million to Milwaukee in the deal, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Williams, a two-time winner of the NL Reliever of the Year Award, recorded a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 22 appearances last season. He owns a 1.83 ERA (232 ERA+) and 14.3 K/9 across six MLB seasons.
The 30-year-old has been frequently involved in trade talks since the Brewers declined his $10.5-million player option for 2025.
The Yankees' previous closer, Clay Holmes, joined the crosstown New York Mets in free agency earlier this offseason.
Cortes, meanwhile, has been a mainstay in the Yankees' rotation over the last few years. The shifty left-hander broke out with an All-Star campaign in 2022 and posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 174 1/3 innings last season.
New York had a surplus of starting pitching to deal from after signing Max Fried to an eight-year, $218-million deal earlier this week.
Both Cortes and Williams will be free agents after 2025.
Durbin, 24, slashed .287/.396/.471 with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs in 82 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024.