This MLB season is quickly becoming the year of the underdog. You see how, one by one, baseball’s giants have been toppled from their thrones. First, the Blue Jays unseated the Yankees. Then, the Phillies surged past the Mets. And now the Padres have climbed to the summit of the NL West, pushing the Dodgers into unfamiliar territory.

Well, for Los Angeles, the pitching staff overall has held its ground, ranking among the league’s top 10 in ERA over the past month. Yet the bullpen has been another story entirely. Late-inning leads have slipped away with alarming regularity, often preceded by a familiar and maddening sequence. They are falling behind in counts, forcing relievers into predictable, hittable pitches.

So, it’s a pattern that’s begun to feel like a slow leak in a championship-caliber ship. The Dodgers need more than just a stopgap. They need a jolt of energy, a fresh arm that can lock down high-pressure outs. But the latest whispers from the rumor mill are raising eyebrows. Los Angeles is reportedly eyeing a Yankees reliever who has been struggling himself.

So, is this the lifeline the Dodgers need, or another gamble that could backfire?

“Before being traded to the Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the teams that talked to the Brewers about Williams…. Williams is highly likely to sign a one-year contract to re-establish his value, and what better place to do that than the Dodgers? They have a history of signing relievers to one-year contracts. They have shown previous interest in Williams. Maybe that’s a partnership the two sides could revisit in the offseason?” Dodgers Nation quoted Robert Murray of Fansided.

According to Murray, Williams could get his career back on track with the Dodgers in what sounds like a classic low-risk, high-reward move. He used to dominate hitters with his signature changeup and late-game cool. But things haven’t gone so smoothly lately in New York. Currently, his control has slipped, the strikeouts are down, and that aura he once had isn’t quite the same.

Now, the Dodgers have a proven recipe. Find what a pitcher does best, sharpen it, and build everything else around it. In Williams’ case, that could mean leaning hard on his famous Airbender changeup, tightening up his fastball command, and keeping his pitch mix simple. Hence, from his side, a one-year, incentive-heavy deal makes perfect sense. It’s a chance to reset on a big stage with a team that knows how to get the most out of its arms. Moreover, standing a 5.48 ERA, the Yankees should not have any problem letting go of Williams.

Hence, a win-win situation for all the parties involved.

The Dodgers might be the most fitting destination for Williams

So even if the Dodgers go for Devin Williams in the upcoming off-season, the question is, will he fit in Los Angeles?

Well, sliding into a setup role or even sharing closing duties, he would instantly give the Dodgers a weapon to lock down games in October. If the rebound doesn’t happen, the Dodgers aren’t on the hook for much. And Williams still benefits from the visibility, analytics, and pitching lab resources that have revived plenty of careers in Los Angeles.

Moreover, the move makes even more sense given the current state of the bullpen. What was an elite group during their dominant 2024 run has now become the team’s biggest weakness over the past month. If you remember, the high-profile gambles on Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott haven’t paid off. Yates has struggled to find consistency. And Scott’s injuries have limited his impact, leaving a clear opening for another late-inning option.

And that’s exactly why Williams could be such a perfect fit. The Dodgers wouldn’t need to overhaul him—just let him sharpen his fastball command and simplify his approach.

In the right matchups, he could be devastating again. And if he gets back to even 80% of his peak form, the Dodgers would have turned a minimal investment into a playoff-tested, late-inning weapon. Exactly the kind of move that has defined their ability to turn potential into production.