Devin Williams's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Milwaukee Brewers declined closer Devin Williams' 2025 club option for $10.5 million on Sunday, according to a source. Williams will instead receive a $250,000 buyout. He will remain with the Brewers and will be in his final year of salary arbitration while expected to make $8-9 million in 2025. Williams will also be a trade candidate this winter. The 30-year-old right-hander missed the entire first half of the 2024 season due to a serious back injury, but when he returned, he was once again lights-out for the Brew Crew with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves, 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings during 22 regular-season outings out of the bullpen. A trade out of Milwaukee could make Williams less attractive from a fantasy perspective, depending on where he lands, but if he stays with the Brewers, he'll be an elite fantasy closing option in 2025.

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold hinted that the team would be open to trading closer Devin Williams as he enters the final year of club control in 2025. "We have to stay open-minded. We're the smallest market in the league, so that's something that's required in this," Arnold said. The GM also said that Williams was "unbelievable" in the second half of the season and shouldn't be defined by one bad pitch in the Game 3 loss to the New York Mets in the Wild-Card Series. The two-time All-Star didn't make his 2024 debut until July 28 due to a back injury, but Williams was once again on point in the second half once he returned, posting a 1.25 ERA (2.06 FIP), 0.97 WHIP, 14 saves, 38 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. He went out on a sour note in the Game 3 loss, though, yielding four earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning in a blown save to end the season.

Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams had a disastrous appearance on Thursday, blowing the save and taking the loss in a 4-2 defeat against the New York Mets in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. Williams allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning. The Airbender has been nails since his mid-season return from injury, but he came up short at the worst possible time for the Crew, who will head home for the offseason. Williams should be back in 2025 as the Brewers' closer, but it will be tough for him to forget this one.