The Los Angeles Dodgers might have had the most expensive offseason in MLB history, but that doesn’t mean the team is done putting the finishing touches on a roster with World Series ambitions.
The team has been linked to potential trades for even more starting pitching depth, a shortstop to save Mookie Betts from adjusting to the position and, now, one of the most accomplished closers in MLB.
Projecting the “10 best MLB trade chips” for the 2024 season, Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report named the Dodgers as a potential fit for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Devin Williams, a two-time All-Star and two-time Reliever of the Year who is currently sidelined with a back injury.
“But if we assume that the Brewers are a postseason long shot — and they are, per their 37.3 percent playoff odds — it’s that much easier to imagine a Williams trade,” Rymer wrote. “Barring any setbacks in his recovery, it’s hardly inconceivable that he’ll pick up where he left off in 2023. As in, pitching like a two-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year whose statistical credits include a 1.89 ERA and 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers Might See a Trade for Devin Williams As Low Risk, High Reward
If Williams does return to the mound in similar fashion to his 2023 campaign, he’d likely be the Dodgers’ go-to closer — a critical shutdown option for a team that expects to make a deep playoff run. However, Williams’ injury has cast some doubt over what had been one of the most sure-fire arms in the big leagues.
“It’s going to be a while before he is healthy again, as the expectation is that the stress fractures in his back will keep him off the mound until June,” Rymer added.
If healthy, Williams would be a bargain for any team and so he might be seen as a low-risk addition, depending on what the Dodgers would have to trade to obtain him. Williams agreed to a one-year, $7.25 million contract with the Brewers to avoid arbitration for 2024, which includes a $10.5 million club option for 2025 or $250,000 buyout.
That means that the Dodgers would be able to keep him for 2025 at a team-friendly price (for reference, three-time Reliever of the Year Josh Hader signed a five-year, $95 million deal to become the Houston Astros closer this offseason). And if Williams can’t find a role on the team after returning from injury, it would be relatively cheap to buy out the remaining year on his contract.
The Milwaukee Brewers Could Be Willing to Trade Devin Williams to the Los Angeles Dodgers
After they decided to deal former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brewers could be sellers at this season’s trade deadline.
“It is unclear whether the trade of Burnes will trigger other moves for the Brewers, sending them into more of a building mode in Pat Murphy’s first year as the replacement for Craig Counsell as manager,” Ken Rosenthal reported for The Athletic. “The team has also entertained the possibility of trading closer Devin Williams, who was named the top reliever in the NL last season.”
With one of the best farm systems in MLB, the Dodgers have plenty of young players to exchange in a hypothetical trade to obtain Williams.
