The New York Yankees traded for Devin Williams with the expectation that he could anchor the back of manager Aaron Boone's bullpen for years to come. Instead, the former All-Star closer has lost his job as the team's go to option in the ninth innings after several weeks in pinstripes.
To Williams, credit, he managed the demotion with class. He told reporters that he was not "surprised" at being replaced due to the struggles he's endured on the young season. He admitted it wasn't a "fun" feeling but he did not argue with the organization's decision in the slightest.
At the moment, the job of finishing off Yankee wins goes to Luke Weaver. He held the role down with aplomb after Clay Holmes' implosion last season. The hope was for Weaver to give the bullpen maximum value with his ability to pitch multiple innings in high leverage situations. Instead, he'll be limited to getting three outs in the ninth for the foreseeable future.
Some MLB teams could have exercised more patience before maknig such a drastic bullpen change. The Yankees could not afford to wait. Here are three reasons why New York had to remove Williams from the closer role this week.
1. Devin Williams' fastball is completely ineffective
Williams "airbender" is a social media darling but it's existenc does not mean he can avoid using his fastball altogether. It's a requirement to set up his devastating changeup.
That's why the reality that opposing hitters are enjoying an eye-popping .462 batting average against his four-seamer so troubling. That makes Williams' fastball one of the worst pitches in all of baseball. Even if his secondary stuff was dominant, he'd struggle to get out quality hitters due to his lack of a reliable fastball to keep them honest.
Helping Williams locate his fastball with quality velocity should be pitching coach Matt Blake's top priority in side sessions for the foreseeable future. Then they can start to work out what's wrong with his usually dominant changeup.
The silver lining here is that Williams' velocity hasn't been an issue. It's a matter of command rather than generating the power to compete with opposing hitters. That reality should give the Yankees hope that a couple of mechanical tweaks can get Williams back to his best. Time will tell how long it takes the organization to identify the mechanical issues and help Williams enact change to remedy them.
2. Luke Weaver is too good to waste
To say that Luke Weaver has been dominant in 2025 would actually be an understatement. The 31-year-old has yet to allow a single earned run in 12 appearances. He managed this impressive feat despite beginning the season with less velocity on his full repertoire of pitches than usual.
Weaver's hot streak made it much easier for them to pull the trigger on taking Williams out of his customary closer role. They have full confidence that he can step in and handle the pressure of ninth innings in the Bronx. Weaver's prior success in the role gave the front office an easy comparison of how they might improve the bullpen by demoting Williams.
The Yankees will lose quality in the setup role without Weaver in the mix. The emergence of Fernando Cruz as a power arm capable of pitching in high-leverage situations will help New York in that regard. Add it all up, and it's clear that Weaver's outstanding performance this year made it easier for the Yankees to shuffle their bullpen.
3. Demoting Devin Williams now gives him time to reclaim his job before October
The best version of the Yankees bullpen still has Williams pitching at the peak of his powers to close games. Making the move to take him out of the pressure cooker in April gives the former All-Star a ton of time to regain his customary role before October baseball arrives.
That's when the Yankees will need Williams to be his dominant self. Boone's already gone on record with his reliever's need to string several strong outings together before a move back to the ninth is even going to be considered. Williams will be under a lot of scrutiny every time he takes the mound, but the pressure will be slightly reduced as he's not asked to finish off games for the foreseeable future.
The potential awkward scenario ahead for the Yankees is what they'll do if both Williams and Weaver are dominating the opposition at the same time. That might make it impossible for Williams to become a closer again, but it's a problem the Yankees would love to encounter. This season is a marathon, not a sprint. That's why giving Williams a chance to reset sooner, rather than later, makes all the sense in the world for the Yankees.