Yankees' Devin Williams disaster was ironic complement to Caleb Durbin's debut

When the Milwaukee Brewers dealt two-time NL Reliever of the Year Devin Williams to the New York Yankees on December 13, 2024, eyebrows were raised across the baseball community. In return, Milwaukee received left-hander Nestor Cortes, versatile infield prospect Caleb Durbin, and cash considerations — a return that, at the time, felt modest for a reliever as dominant as Williams.

Now in April 2025, it’s the Brewers who are laughing all the way to the top of the trade scoreboard as the results appear as if they made out like bandits. What initially appeared to be a gamble is quickly shaping into one of the savviest moves of the offseason.

Williams, once revered for his air-bending changeup and late-inning dominance, has looked like a shadow of his former self in pinstripes. Just a few weeks into his Yankees tenure, he's already surrendered eight earned runs across just eight innings of work — nearly matching his entire 2023 total of 10 earned runs over 58.2 innings. Even last season, in an injury-shortened campaign, he only gave up three earned runs over 21.2 innings.

Now? The Yankees are in a full-on closer crisis. Williams owns an inflated 9.00 ERA, has allowed 11 hits, and walked seven batters in those eight innings. His most public unraveling came on April 19 against Tampa Bay, entering with a comfortable 8–4 lead in the ninth — only to allow four runs and blow the save in shocking fashion. It was a meltdown that left Yankees fans stunned and Brewers fans vindicated.

Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, the return on investment is already taking shape.

The Brewers are already winning the Devin Williams trade

Caleb Durbin, the under-the-radar infielder thrown into the deal, made his MLB debut on Friday, April 18, and wasted no time making his presence felt. Durbin went 2-for-4 and drove in his first career run the following night — the same night Williams imploded on the mound. Over his first three games, he’s shown off his defensive instincts at third base, flashed his speed with a stolen bag on Easter Sunday, and most notably, hasn’t struck out once in 11 plate appearances. His slash line sits at .182/.250/.182 — not jumping off the page, but every at-bat has been competitive, and he’s making consistent contact, which is more than can be said for others who’ve rotated through Milwaukee’s hot corner this season.

Then there’s Nestor Cortes, the funky southpaw who’s working his way back from a minor injury. Before hitting the IL, Cortes delivered a brilliant bounce-back outing on April 3 — throwing six shutout innings of one-hit ball against the Reds. The Brewers have said his current IL stint is not concerning — and if Cortes returns to form, his value to their pitching staff could make this trade look like outright theft.

It’s still early, and plenty can happen over a 162-game season. But so far, Milwaukee’s front office once again looks like it’s playing chess while the rest of the league fumbles with checkers. In a market where the margin for error is razor-thin, the Brewers may have pulled off one of the most impactful deals of the year.