The Los Angeles Dodgers are eyeing a significant bullpen upgrade this offseason, with right-handed reliever Devin Williams emerging as a potential target, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The multi-time All-Star joins a crowded free-agent market that also includes the likes of Robert Suárez, Kyle Finnegan, and Pete Fairbanks.
Williams, 31, enjoyed sustained success with the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 1.83 ERA across parts of six seasons, including three straight sub-2.00 ERA campaigns from 2022-24. Among relievers with 100+ innings in that span, only Edwin Díaz and Félix Bautista boasted a higher strikeout rate than Williams’ 39.5%. His back fractures in 2024, which sidelined him for the first half of the season, were the only real question mark about his durability.
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A Down Year in New York
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Williams’ first season with the Yankees was uncharacteristically uneven. He posted a 4.79 ERA over 62 innings, losing his closer role in April before briefly reclaiming it in June. He finished the season as a setup man after the Yankees acquired David Bednar at the trade deadline. Despite the rough year, Williams’ underlying metrics remained strong. He struck out 34.7% of batters faced, generated swinging strikes on nearly 17% of pitches, and maintained a 94.1 MPH average fastball. His signature changeup/screwball continued to show elite movement, though his high .339 BABIP with runners on base suggested some bad luck.
“I kinda thought I’d be going to L.A.,” Williams said at his introductory Yankees press conference last December. “That was what I was being told. The Yankees snuck in there under the table and got the deal done.”
Dodgers’ Bullpen Needs
The Dodgers’ bullpen struggled in 2025, leaving the team searching for a reliable late-inning weapon. Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, and Kirby Yates all underperformed, while young arms Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are expected to return to the rotation next season. General manager Brandon Gomes expressed optimism that Scott could rebound and that injured arms Brusdar Graterol and Brock Stewart might return. “I think it’s being very targeted in who we go out and look to acquire,” Gomes said. “Without many glaring holes… the mindset is still to approach the offseason and not have to make big splashy trades.”
Mutual Interest Emerges
Now a free agent for the first time, Williams is reportedly drawing significant interest, with Ardaya noting “mutual interest between the Dodgers and Williams early in his first foray into free agency.” After a down year, the reliever’s track record, high strikeout rates, and elite pitch movement make him an attractive candidate to stabilize Los Angeles’ late-inning bullpen and bolster the team’s push for another championship.
With the Dodgers’ bullpen still a work in progress, adding a proven high-leverage arm like Williams could be exactly the upgrade they need to return to dominance in 2026.