Coming off a season where they made a surprise push towards contention and ultimately finished just four games out of a playoff spot with a 79-83 record, the Marlins look poised to try and take a step forward towards more serious contention this winter. That could mean looking to add, and reporting has already indicated that Miami will be active in the bullpen and position player markets as they seek upgrades. When it comes to the search for relief help, Kevin Barral of Fish On First reports that one name that Miami plans to target is two-time All-Star Devin Williams.
Williams, 31, has been one of the most successful relievers in the game ever since he won the NL Rookie of the Year award with the Brewers back in 2020. In parts of six seasons with Milwaukee, Williams made a case for himself as baseball’s best reliever with a 1.83 ERA and a 39.4% strikeout rate in 235 2/3 innings of work. He converted 87.2% of his save opportunities and his 2.66 SIERA with Milwaukee was the fourth-best figure in baseball among relievers with at least 200 innings of work between 2019 and 2024, trailing only Liam Hendriks, Edwin Diaz, and Josh Hader.
Ahead of his final season of team control, the Brewers made the decision last offseason to deal Williams to the Yankees in exchange for southpaw Nestor Cortes Jr. and infielder Caleb Durbin. Williams’s year in the Bronx did not go how anyone was expecting it to, however, as he struggled significantly for the first time in his career. Williams posted a lackluster 4.79 ERA in 62 innings for the Yankees. While the right-hander was in line to potentially land one of the largest free agent deals for a reliever in history this time last year, his tough stint in New York has significantly changed the expectations surrounding Williams’s expected contract.
That drop in market value for Williams could create an opportunity for the Marlins, who have never been among the league’s biggest spenders and surely view the situation as an opportunity to potentially bring in an elite reliever on a relative bargain. Despite his poor results with the Yankees, Williams posted strong peripherals that should offer Miami some confidence in investing in the right-hander. Among qualified relievers this year, Williams’s 2.68 FIP ranks 18th, his 2.67 SIERA ranks 15th, and his 34.7% strikeout rate was still the 8th-best figure in baseball.
All of those peripherals indicate Williams still has the ability of a star closer, and after a season where the Marlins spread save opportunities between nine different players they should certainly be able to offer Williams the ninth inning. That could make Miami a more attractive destination than some other teams that might have interested in Williams but can’t offer a clear path to the ninth inning. Williams recently gave a vague answer when asked about whether or not the ability to serve as a club’s closer would impact his decision-making in free agency, saying that it “depends on the scenario.”
Given Williams’s stature in the game and likely deflated price tag, the Marlins surely won’t be the only team interested in his services. He’s indicated a willingness to stick with the Yankees even after a tough year this season, and virtually every team in baseball tends to be in the market for relief help every winter. Looking at closer jobs around the game, the Braves are set to lose Raisel Iglesias to free agency, the Dodgers could be looking for a new long-term solution in the ninth inning after Tanner Scott’s struggles led them to turn to starter Roki Sasaki when closing out postseason games, and the Tigers were known to be looking for a veteran with closing experience last winter despite ultimately coming up short.