Why the best version of the Yankees bullpen features Devin Williams as closer

When the New York Yankees traded for Devin Williams in the offseason they believed he would solidify their bullpen as a dominant ninth-inning option. Instead, he faltered after arriving in the Bronx and lost the closer role to teammate Luke Weaver. If the Yankees are going to be World Series contenders this year, they need Williams to find his way back into the ninth inning.

Weaver's recent trip to the Injured List opened the door for manager Aaron Boone to give Williams another chance to close games. The former Brewers star has been much better this time around. He has not pitched like the dominant force he was in Milwaukee, but he's done a quality job ending games without drama during Weaver's absence.

It's important to note that Weaver was dominant during his time as the team's closer. His 1.02 ERA in 25 innings is a big reason why New York finds itself atop the AL East standings as the end of June approaches. Nothing about his performance suggests that the Yankees should do anything other than reinstall him as the team's closer now that he's back on the active roster.

So why should the Yankees give Devin Williams another opportunity to close?

This is a clear example where one player's versatility might cost him the role he'd ideally like to maintain. Weaver cut his teeth with the Yankees as a valuable multi-inning reliever. He is a top-flight closer but that generally restricts him to just one inning of work at a time. That puts undue pressure on the rest of the bullpen to find their way out of late-innings jams before the final inning arrives.

Williams is the quintessential closer who is at his best when he's permitted to come into a clean inning and get three outs. He could do that in the seventh or eight but the most value he can provide Boone's bullpen is as a classic closer who only works in the ninth.

It's easy to envision a scenario where Boone uses Weaver for more than a single inning to get the Yankees valuable wins down the stretch. He might prefer to have the glamor of the closer role but that's not in the best interest of his team. Weaver's ability to pitch more than one inning at a time gives his team a unique advantage in high leverage situations that Williams cannot provide.

How will Aaron Boone use Devin Williams and Luke Weaver?

Boone is being predictably non-committal about how he will use his two high-profile relievers. He recently told reporters that both of his 'elite' arms will get opportunities to close games down the stretch. Presumably, he'll make his decisions based on matchups and who is more of the "hot" pitcher at any moment in time.

As long as Williams continues to pitch well he will naturally earn more conventional save opportunities. That does not mean Weaver won't pick up a save here and there, but Boone will not be able to resist the chance to deploy him earlier in games in stressful situations. Williams might get the glory of notching a boatload of saves but Weaver should get a higher workload in terms of innings pitched.

Boone deserves credit for being a progressive manager who understands how to get the most out of a modern bullpen. More conservative managers might spend a lot of time and energy trying to figure out which of his best relievers should be restricted to ninth-inning use. Boone has the keen understanding that Weaver might be best used as a multi-inning reliever to get the ball to Williams in the final frame.

Both pitchers seem to be willing to accept whatever role they're assigned to, which gives Boone the flexibility to embrace this slightly unorthodox approach. The manager will field criticism whenever one of them falters, but he's right to preserve as much flexibility as he possibly can. Selecting one pitcher as the closer right now would paint him into an unnecessary corner.

That means Yankee fans will be left to guess which player will close games as long as both Williams and Weaver stay healthy. That might frustrate them but the best outcome for their favorite team will be for Weaver to "lose" the battle to be the team's closer. He holds far more value to the Yankees as a versatile bullpen piece who can help them safely deliver leads to Williams in the ninth.