Last offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers made bold moves, trading away former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and securing a massive contract extension for 19-year-old Jackson Chourio, even though he had yet to play a single game in the majors. These decisions were made under the leadership of President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold, who recently earned MLB’s “Executive of the Year” award. Arnold has shown he’s not afraid to take calculated risks, and those decisions paid off as the Brewers won the National League Central and reached the playoffs once again.
Now, with another offseason ahead, the question arises: is Arnold prepared to take another risk and potentially trade away All-Star closer Devin Williams? At the recent general manager meetings in Texas, Arnold addressed this possibility. Williams is entering the final year of his contract with Milwaukee, a situation reminiscent of last year’s when the Brewers traded Burnes. The Brewers have shown a willingness to trade key players—like when they dealt closer Josh Hader during the 2022 season—to maintain financial flexibility and acquire prospects.
Despite this, the Brewers chose to retain shortstop Willy Adames last season, a decision that paid off as Adames delivered an MVP-caliber performance. However, he’s likely to depart in free agency this offseason.
Williams, 30, missed some time with an injury in 2023 but still appeared in 22 games, posting a 1-0 record with a 1.25 ERA across 21.2 innings and earning 14 saves as the Brewers made their postseason push. Over his career, Williams has compiled a 27-10 record with a 1.83 ERA, and he was named an NL All-Star in both 2022 and 2023.
As reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com: