The New York Yankees’ roster crunch, by the end of the season, is poised to get deeply strange. If everyone stays healthy — big if — there isn’t enough room for Austin Slater to return without using an expanded September roster spot on him. That will leave someone like Yerry de los Santos or Cam Schlittler demoted and out in the cold to accommodate the returns of Fernando Cruz, Ryan Yarbrough, and Jonathan Loáisiga. Of course, there is a bolder solution that involves Devin Williams, and FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray couldn’t help but note it on The Baseball Insiders Podcast this week.
Murray also wrote about Williams’ “disaster of epic proportions” Yankees tenure in his accompanying column, noting that while the idea is pure speculation, it’s hard not to think about Williams on waivers, given the impending crunch and his demotion to garbage time.
The Yankees would more than likely want to avoid their previously anointed closer being able to sneak onto someone else’s playoff roster, but a post-Sept. 1 DFA seems completely reasonable.
Murray expanded upon the idea a bit on Wednesday’s Baseball Insiders, starting around the 26:16 mark.
Yankees could put Devin Williams on waivers if situation continues to deteriorate
“That tenure with the Yankees has been as big of a disaster as you could possibly imagine. It’s been a huge flop,” Murray stated. “I wonder if a change of scenery and just getting him out of there and admitting you were wrong with that move could end up being the play.”
“Do I think that’s likely? No,” Murray continued, driving a virtual stake into the heart of Yankee fans everywhere.
The Yankees, for very good reason, would rather not embolden Williams’ confidence and send him somewhere he can eventually bite them. They’re also hanging onto a playoff spot for dear life, and it’s really hard to consider postseason roster implications right now.
But … who would you rather want taking October reps? Yerry de los Santos, or Devin Williams? A head-to-head with Loáisiga is probably a faceoff that Williams wins, but de los Santos, the Yankees’ expert long man? Not so sure. Crazy, but not so sure. The waiver wire could get very spicy around the start of next month.
