In a twist that feels like it was scripted for a baseball comedy, the New York Yankees and their former setup man Devin Williams are likely parting ways, with a surprising team—the Miami Marlins—emerging as a contender for his services. The rumor mill is churning, and it’s serving up a plotline so absurd it’s almost laughable.
Devin Williams, who spent the latter half of the 2025 season proving his worth as a reliable setup man for David Bednar, is expected to command closer-level money in free agency this winter. While Williams has spoken fondly of his time in the Bronx and expressed openness to returning, his kind words might not outweigh the allure of bigger paychecks and a guaranteed closer role elsewhere. The Yankees, despite their deep pockets, may find themselves outbid and outmaneuvered.
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Enter the Miami Marlins, a team that seems to have taken a page out of a sitcom script by reportedly targeting Williams as their next closer, according to Fish On First’s Kevin Barral. “A source tells Fish On First that Williams is a name the [Marlins] will target,” Barral reported. This is where the plot thickens—and gets downright hilarious.
Let’s rewind to early 2025, when Williams was the talk of New York for all the wrong reasons. His March and April performances were a disaster, with a 9.00 ERA that had Yankees fans ready to run him out of town. At that point, Williams’s most notable achievement in pinstripes wasn’t his pitching—it was his groundbreaking victory over the Yankees’ infamous facial hair policy. But as the season progressed, Williams turned things around. By June, he was dealing, posting a sparkling 0.93 ERA. By August, he’d done enough to melt the icy perception that he was a bust. In the postseason, he was lights-out, tossing four shutout innings across four appearances.
Williams’s 2025 season wasn’t flawless, though. His overall 4.79 ERA was a career worst, but a 2.68 FIP—nearly identical to his 2023 mark—suggests he was better than the raw numbers show. He set career highs in innings pitched and appearances, while maintaining an impressive 13.1 K/9 and a 3.6 BB/9. Those numbers, combined with his postseason reliability, apparently caught the Marlins’ attention.
According to Barral, the Marlins see Williams as a solution to their 2025 closer-by-committee experiment. “Per multiple reports, the opportunity to return to a closer’s role will play a factor in which team Williams decides to go to,” Barral noted. “Even if Williams does not pitch the ninth inning every time, we can assume he would be deployed in the highest leverage situations possible.”
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The irony here is palpable. Just a few months ago, Williams couldn’t have bought a quiet meal in New York without fans booing him. Now, he’s poised to be too expensive—and too coveted—for the Yankees to retain. The Marlins, of all teams, stepping up to the plate adds a layer of absurdity to the saga. Miami, with their budget-conscious reputation, chasing a high-profile reliever like Williams? It’s the kind of rumor that makes you double-check the source.
For the Yankees, this has to sting. Losing Williams to a team like the Marlins—not exactly a perennial powerhouse—would be a tough pill to swallow. As the free-agent market heats up, New York’s front office must be sweating, wondering how they let a once-maligned reliever become the belle of the ball. The 162-game season is a rollercoaster, and Williams’s redemption arc might just end with him cashing in somewhere far from the Bronx—possibly in the most unexpected place imaginable.