Yanks trade for closer Williams from Brewers 

The Yankees made a trade on Friday that should significantly upgrade their bullpen this coming season, acquiring two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Brewers in exchange for left-hander Nestor Cortes, infielder Caleb Durbin and cash considerations.

The 30-year-old Williams is a two-time National League Reliever of the Year (2021, ’23) who was also the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year.

This past season, Williams posted a razor-thin 1.25 ERA across 22 appearances in the regular season for Milwaukee, logging 14 saves while finishing 19 games. His season was impacted by a pair of stress fractures in his back, which delayed Williams’ season debut until July 28.

Williams endured a high-profile stumble in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Mets, when he blew a 2-0 lead by surrendering four runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Brewers declined Williams’ $10.5 million option for the ’25 season in November; he is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility after earning $7 million in ’24.

• Analyzing the Williams trade from all sides

Williams’ acquisition will move Luke Weaver back to a setup role within a Yankees bullpen that has seen displaced closer Clay Holmes move across town to the Mets, with Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle also free agents. The Yanks have re-signed Jonathan Loáisiga, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and should be ready to join New York at some point this coming season.

Like Williams, Cortes also concluded his tenure with his previous team by landing on the wrong side of a memorable postseason rally. Summoned in relief during Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers, Cortes served up a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman, the first in Fall Classic history.

Otherwise, Cortes -- who dealt with a left elbow flexor strain that had kept him out of action since Sept. 18 before the World Series appearance –- was a reliable workhorse for the Yanks in 2024, pitching to a 9-10 record and 3.77 ERA in a team-leading 174 1/3 innings.

A 2022 American League All-Star, Cortes has spent five of his seven big league seasons with the Yankees, also pitching briefly for the Orioles and Mariners. In 135 Major League games (86 starts), Cortes has compiled a 33-21 record and 3.80 ERA.

Having earned $3.95 million this past year as he heads into his final season of arbitration eligibility, Cortes became expendable for the Yankees following their addition of Max Fried, who agreed Tuesday to an eight-year, $218 million contract, which represents the largest deal ever issued to a left-handed pitcher.

The Yanks’ rotation now projects to include Gerrit Cole, Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman; Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, has reportedly been part of trade talks with the Astros for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Durbin, 24, had been mentioned by the Yankees as a leading candidate to play second base this coming season, with Gleyber Torres’ expected departure in free agency. The speedy Durbin earned a place on New York’s 40-man roster with an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he set a record with 29 stolen bases in 24 games.

Durbin spent most of this past season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he batted .287/.396/.471 with 23 doubles, 10 homers and 60 RBIs. He boosted his stock in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .312/.427/.548 with five homers in 24 games with 29 stolen bases, shattering the previous record of 24, set by Rick Holifield in 1994, when the AFL’s schedule was almost twice as long.