'Airbender' wielder accepts mantle of closer
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochYankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 11, and with that date approaching, anticipation is building for the 2025 season. This is the second installment in our ¡°Around the Horn¡± series, breaking down each area of the Yankees¡¯ roster, continuing with the bullpen.
The comparison inevitably is made with every player who assumes the title of ¡°Yankees closer,¡± as it recently was for Devin Williams, who will soon become the latest to take on the role. Replicating Mariano Rivera¡¯s long-term mastery is impossible, but it¡¯s in the job description to try.
¡°I¡¯m excited for it,¡± Williams said. ¡°They obviously have a long history; Mariano, Aroldis [Chapman], they¡¯ve been the best of the best. I¡¯m just trying to add my name to that list, hopefully. I think it¡¯ll be good for me. I¡¯m someone who thrives off the energy. When I can feed off the fans, that¡¯s always a good thing for me.¡±
A two-time All-Star and two-time National League Reliever of the Year Award winner, the 30-year-old Williams was acquired from the Brewers on Dec. 13 in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, infielder Caleb Durbin and cash considerations.
Known for his unique changeup, which has screwball-like motion and is nicknamed the ¡°Airbender,¡± Williams¡¯ 1.66 ERA since the beginning of the 2022 season ranks as the lowest among all big league relievers. Last year, he posted 14 saves and a 1.25 ERA in 22 relief appearances after missing the season¡¯s first 104 games with a back stress fracture that he says is no longer an issue.
Since he was entering his final year before free agency, Williams said he expected to be traded by Milwaukee. The destination surprised him: he¡¯d been reading media reports that suggested the Dodgers were close to acquiring him. Preparing for a workout in West Palm Beach, Fla., Williams learned the Yankees had swooped in with a winning offer.
¡°There was a bit of shock, but it¡¯s a tremendous honor to be able to play for this organization,¡± Williams said. ¡°There¡¯s no bigger team in baseball, so I¡¯m very happy to be here.¡±
Williams¡¯ arrival should reshape a bullpen that turned over since the World Series. Clay Holmes signed with the Mets, where he¡¯ll enter the spring as a starting pitcher, while Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle and Tim Mayza remain on the free-agent market -- at present, the Yankees do not have a left-hander in their bullpen.
They do have interest in retaining Hill, who pitched to a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances for New York, albeit with only 18 strikeouts in 44 innings. The Mets have also reportedly shown interest in Hill.
Luke Weaver took over the closer¡¯s role in September and enjoyed success, having become a shutdown force in part because of tweaked mechanics that increased separation between his fastball and changeup.
Weaver pitched to a 1.76 ERA across 15 1/3 postseason innings, during which the 31-year-old said he didn¡¯t view himself as the closer: just ¡°someone who goes out there and tries to get outs.¡± Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be tempted to use Weaver as a flexible fireman, challenging him in key spots anywhere from the sixth inning on.
¡°For Luke to evolve at the end of last year, you could say [he] showed himself to be one of the better closers in the league,¡± said pitching coach Matt Blake. ¡°To have options at the end of the game was really important. It gives us some flexibility to move Weaver around.¡±
Ian Hamilton could return to a setup role after he posted a 3.82 ERA in 35 appearances last season, though the 29-year-old was on the injured list from June 18 to Sept. 7 with a right lat strain. Another hurler hoping for better health will be Jonathan Loáisiga, who lost nearly all of last year to Tommy John surgery. According to Blake, the 30-year-old Lo¨¢isiga should be big league-ready by mid-April or early May.
¡°I imagine him being one of our high-leverage guys,¡± Blake said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to take some time to get him right and make sure we don¡¯t rush him into competition, but he¡¯s one of the better right-handed relievers in the game when he¡¯s healthy. We¡¯re really excited about that.¡±
In December, the Yankees swapped their catching depth for a high-velocity arm, acquiring right-hander Fernando Cruz from the Reds for catcher Jose Trevino. Cruz, who turns 35 in March, had a 4.86 ERA in 69 appearances last season. Among pitchers who tossed at least 50 innings, his 14.72 strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio was the highest in the Majors, and his 37.8% strikeout rate ranked third.
Cruz is set to compete for middle-relief innings with right-handers Jake Cousins and Mark Leiter Jr. The 30-year-old Cousins pitched to a 2.37 ERA over 37 appearances last season, while Leiter¡¯s 4.98 ERA in 21 appearances following a July trade with the Cubs led to his being left off the playoff roster until he was needed as a mid-series injury replacement in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians. Leiter, who turns 34 in March, pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Cleveland and the Dodgers.
¡°To get traded here was a really cool opportunity -- first-place team, a really good team,¡± Leiter said. ¡°I¡¯ve been blown away by how much of a team it actually is inside, taking care of one another, picking each other up, feeding off each other, all that stuff. It¡¯s been awesome to be a part of.¡±
Depth options competing for long-relief jobs in camp include JT Brubaker, Will Warren (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees' No. 5 prospect), Clayton Beeter (No. 19) and Yoendrys G¨®mez (No. 20), all of whom have big league experience. Additional bullpen arms should include Scott Effross, Yerry De Los Santos and Michael Arias (No. 29).