After an erratic season, the two-time National League Reliever of the Year, Devin Williams, walked out of Yankee Stadium in 2025 feeling both pensive and positive. Just this last winter, the Yankees acquired the 31-year-old from Milwaukee and gave up left-hander Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin in exchange for a whole year of the standout closer on the mound. Now, as we speak about it, he is open to reuniting with the Bronx.

The 31-year-old reliever told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that he’d “definitely be open” to reuniting with the Yankees in the upcoming free agency.

“I love this city and love taking the [subway] train to the field every day. I really enjoyed my experience here. … There’s a lot to like about this city, but it took me some time to adjust,” Williams shared.

Now, as Williams is entering free agency, it’s going to be a talent-heavy reliever market.

Elite closers like Ryan Helsley and Raisel Iglesias are the leading names in the market. In fact, Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez could join them, too, in case they opt out of their current contracts with the Mets and Padres, respectively.

Apart from them, there could be other accomplished closers in the market, too, such as Emilio Pagan, Shawn Armstrong, Kenley Jansen, Kirby Yates, and Kyle Finnegan.

But age is certainly in Williams’ favor compared to the other bullpen options. His age-31 season makes him one of the youngest high-profile free-agent relievers. That’s something that can help him land one of the longest and most lucrative deals.

Both David Bednar and Camilo Doval are under team control for the 2026 season. That means the Yankees don’t have a pressing need to reunite with Williams. For Williams, the ultimate call “depends on the scenario” regarding whether being the reliever could impact his free agency decision.

Williams’ biggest factor that gives him an edge as he enters free agency

Easily one of the most encouraging factors, and perhaps the biggest, as Devin Williams heads to free agency, is his durability. It’s a big deal that he made it through the 2025 season without any health issues. He set career highs in both innings (62) and appearances (67). And next season, durability will be the key for the Yankees’ roster.

That draws a noticeable contrast to his final season with the Brewers.

The 31-year-old missed the first quarter of his final season with stress fractures in his back. But when he returned, he was his usual dominant self. However, the 21 2/3 innings he totaled were his lowest total in a season since his rookie year.

This season, he posted a 4.79 ERA across 67 appearances, recording 18 saves across 22 opportunities. His early struggles, like a blown save back in April against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he gave up three runs without getting anyone out, led to him briefly losing the closer role.

But heading into the October baseball, Williams ripped off nine consecutive scoreless outings. He averaged 94.1 mph on his fastball this season. Although it’s slightly down from 2024 at 94.7 mph, it’s right in line with 2023–94.2 mph and 2022–94.1 mph.

The reliever also added four scoreless innings in the playoffs, including a dominating four-out performance in American League Division Series Game 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

But for the final call, we will probably have to wait till winter…