The New York Yankees took a massive gamble when they traded fan favorite Nestor Cortes and rising infield prospect Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers for Devin Williams before the start of the 2025 season. It wasn’t just a roster shuffle — it was a statement. New York was betting that Williams, the two-time All-Star with the cartoonish “Airbender” changeup, would be the piece to stabilize the back end of their bullpen.

At the time, it felt like a swing-for-the-fences move. Williams had a career ERA under 2.00, the kind of number that makes even the most hardened hitters shake their heads. But in baseball, reputation doesn’t always travel, and in Williams’ first few months wearing pinstripes, he looked nothing like the elite closer who baffled the league for years.

Instead of dominance

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