Blue Jays can start bullpen rebuild with obvious closer trade candidate from Brewers

Heading into the 2024-25 MLB offseason, one of the key areas in which the Toronto Blue Jays need a huge overhaul is their bullpen. After being an area of strength in recent years, the Jays’ relief corps completely fell apart in 2024, playing a key role in leading to their utterly disappointing season. As a result, many are anticipating multiple moves will be made by Toronto this offseason to address this weakness, whether via free agency or trade.

An obvious elite option has become available with which the Jays can start their bullpen rebuild. According to Jeff Passan, the Milwaukee Brewers declined the club option for star closer Devin Williams. Williams will remain with the Brewers in his final year of arbitration and all of a sudden becomes a prime trade candidate as well.

We had earlier discussed the possibility of the Brewers and the Jays being perfect trade partners this offseason. It appears as though that opportunity has now come earlier than expected. After all, Williams has been one of the best relievers in the business for the past five years.

During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he captured NL Rookie of the Year honors by posting an eye-popping 0.33 ERA, 1375 ERA+ and 0.63 WHIP, giving up just one earned run all year with nine walks and a whopping 53 strikeouts in just 27 innings pitched over 22 appearances. In fact, in the last three seasons, the two-time All-Star has never had an ERA above 2.00 or a WHIP above 1.01, along with a strikeout rate of at least 37.7% (or 13.3 batters per nine innings).

With numbers like that, it enabled the Brewers to trade away former closer Josh Hader and still remain competitive.

This past year, Williams missed the first half of the season due to stress fractures in his back. Upon his return, many were worried about how he would perform since he never underwent any surgical intervention to aid in his recovery. Williams put that to rest by posting a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, yielding just three earned runs with 38 strikeouts in just 21 2/3 innings of work over 22 appearances. More importantly, he was back to his dominant self, converting 14 saves for the Brewers down the stretch and helping them reach the postseason for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

With Jays’ closer Jordan Romano hounded by ineffectiveness and eventually a season-ending right-elbow injury in 2024, he remains a question mark with respect to his role entering the 2025 season.

Therefore, with a no-brainer option in Williams that could now be had at the right price, it just makes too much sense for the Jays to pursue. For one, it would provide big-time insurance in the event Romano cannot regain his form. More significantly, as dominant as Williams has been for such a long time, he is exactly the backbone piece needed to revitalize the Jays’ bullpen going forward. As a result, the time for the Jays to pounce is now.