MLB Rumors: Devin Williams trade, Joc Pederson suitor, Pirates call next
- Could Devin Williams be traded? It's unlikely, but the Royals are a suitor.
- Joc Pederson has interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates aren't done making moves after Aroldis Chapman.
MLB Rumors: Royals pursuing a closer with Devin Williams being the dream candidate
The Kansas City Royals have made some serious moves this offseason, inking free agent deals worth over $100 million. Their free agency class is headlined by Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Hunter Renfroe, all signed for multiple years.
This has opened the door to the team making more aggressive moves. The top thing they seemed to be looking for was a closer to lock down the ninth inning of games after trading Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow last season.
One of the top options, according to Ken Rosenthal, would be Devin Williams, one of the best relievers in the entire league. Milwaukee wouldn't be likely to trade him as they don't have much in their system to replace him. The Brewers would miss out on Aroldis Chapman, meaning the likelihood of trading Williams elsewhere has dwindled down near zero.
With Williams likely off the table, the Royals will be forced to look elsewhere for a closer, with Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians being one of the better options left. Clase wouldn't be as expensive of a trade target as Williams would have been either.
If they strike out on both Williams and Clase, they may need to wait until midseason before trying to make a move. As teams fall in or out of contention, they make players -- usually their closer if they're rebuilding -- available in trades. If Kansas City is able to hang around in contention this season, they could end up very aggressive at the deadline.
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