The Milwaukee Brewers "have entertained the possibility" of trading star closer Devin Williams, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. This news comes on the heels of a big night for the Brewers as they traded starter Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles. Milwaukee has already parted with Burnes and Brandon Woodruff this offseason, so moving on from Williams would be quite significant. A Williams trade would presumably signal a rebuild of sorts for the Brewers, though such a path would counter some of the moves they've made this offseason, like signing Rhys Hoskins. Nevertheless, it's no secret that the Brewers could fetch quite the haul for Williams, who accrued a phenomenal 1.53 ERA and 13.35 K/9 while locking down 38 saves in 2023. He figures to be an All-Star-caliber closer for several years to come.

Free agent reliever Keynan Middleton has agreed to a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. The 30-year-old split 2023 with the White Sox and Yankees, posting a 3.26 xFIP, 11.37 K/9, and 56.5 percent ground ball rate over 51 appearances. On a less positive note, he struggled with walks (4.09 BB/9) and home runs (1.42 HR/9). Nevertheless, Middleton has repeatedly proven himself as a strong bullpen option, which makes him a great fit for the Cardinals. After all, St. Louis has repeatedly emphasized a desire to bolster its bullpen this winter, adding the likes of Middleton and Andrew Kittredge while also being linked to Ryan Brasier.

Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitcher Ethan Small has been designated for assignment. This move creates space on the 40-man roster for Joey Ortiz and DL Hall after they were acquired in exchange for Corbin Burnes on Thursday evening. Small is a former first-round pick but struggled in limited action over the last two seasons. Through 10.1 innings in the majors, he has allowed 10 earned runs and 10 walks while striking out 13 batters. He fared better at Triple-A but still posted a 1.26 WHIP and 4.24 BB/9 there last year. The Brewers will have one week to trade Small or place him on outright waivers. Given that he has one option remaining, it seems likely that teams with open 40-man roster spots will consider adding him, even if it means sending him to the minors.

The Miami Marlins won their salary arbitration case with outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on Thursday, and he will now be paid $2.625 million in 2024 instead of the $2.9 million that he was seeking. Chisholm was in his first year of arbitration eligibility with the Fish. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter was an All-Star in 2022 despite playing in 60 games, and he played in only 97 games due to more injury issues in 2023. He had surgery in October for turf toe on his right foot, but he's expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. There's a lot to like about Chisholm's skills as a power-speed option that can also play the infield, but injuries have depressed his fantasy value the last two seasons. Sticking in center field could also make it hard for Chisholm to stay healthy in the future. He takes an aggressive approach at the plate, which isn't great for his batting average, and he'll also be less attractive to fantasy managers this spring now that he's lost second base eligibility.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired left-hander DL Hall, shortstop Joey Ortiz and the 34th overall pick in this year's MLB draft from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in a blockbuster trade that sent right-hander Corbin Burnes to the O's, according to a source. Hall, 25, was once a top pitching prospect for Baltimore, but he's made 29 appearances and one start in the big leagues and was used as a reliever in 2023 due to an injury. Hall ended up with a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 19 1/3 innings last season. With a change of scenery, Hall should have a better shot at cracking Milwaukee's Opening Day rotation, especially with Burnes now gone. Ortiz is in a similar situation after being blocked at the big-league level for a middle-infield spot in Baltimore. The 25-year-old will have more opportunity with the Brew Crew after hitting .321 (112-for-349) with nine home runs, 58 RBI and 11 steals in 88 games for Triple-A Norfolk in 2023.