The Milwaukee Brewers traded two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees earlier this week. In return, Milwaukee acquired left-handed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin (who has played in Wisconsin before).
Cortes, who was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA for the Yankees last year, figures to slide into the Brewers starting rotation behind Freddie Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, and Tobias Myers. Durbin, who plays second base and third base, gives Milwaukee flexibility on the infield as they try to replace shortstop Willy Adames.
As one might have figured, the Yankees were not the only team interested in Williams. They just offered Milwaukee the best package that suited their needs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Offered Gavin Lux to the Milwaukee Brewers in a Potential Devin Williams Trade
One of the teams that was long rumored to be interested in acquiring Williams was the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to Blake Williams of Dodger Blue, the Dodgers actually had an offer on the table for the two-time NL Reliever of the Year, an offer the Brewers rejected.
“Before the Brewers and Yankees agreed to the trade, Gavin Lux was included in talks between the Dodgers and Brewers for Williams, and the framework for a deal discussed between the two clubs also included Hunter Feduccia, according to a source,” Williams wrote.
Lux hit .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI for Los Angeles in 2024. Feduccia, a catching prospect, made his Major League debut last year and hit .333/.429/.333 with an RBI in five games. Down in Triple-A last season, he hit .284/.409/.428 with six home runs and 50 RBI.
Why Did the Milwaukee Brewers Reject the Dodgers’ Offer for Devin Williams?
He also stated in his report that it was Durbin, not Cortes, who piqued Milwaukee’s interest the most. Williams states that the Brewers believe they can have the young infielder take over second base and move Brice Turang over to shortstop.
There is, however, one problem with this report: Brewers manager Pat Murphy already insinuated Joey Ortiz will be the team’s shortstop in 2025. When asked on Foul Territory if Ortiz or Turang will be the team’s shortstop next season, Murphy said, “The decision will be one or the other. My tendency is probably to leave Brice alone because he’s as special as you can see at second base.”
Turang, of course, won the NL Gold Glove Award at second base and earned the National League’s Platinum Glove. While he is certainly capable of playing shortstop, it may not make sense to make him switch positions.
The positive thing about Durbin is that he can play both second and third, as mentioned earlier. Whichever player, Ortiz or Turang, replaces Adames defensively, Durbin can earn a job taking over for either of them.
