10:54PM: At least 10 teams have checked in with the Brewers about Williams, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, including the Dodgers and Yankees. With this much interest in the closer, there is a sense that the Brewers might wait until later in the offseason to deal Williams (if at all), since they could land a bigger return once the free agent relief market clears out.
4:51PM: The ever-aggressive Dodgers are looking for high-leverage relief help, and The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports that Devin Williams and Tanner Scott are two of the names under consideration as L.A. weighs options in both free agency and the trade market.
Williams is eligible for free agency next winter, and there has been speculation that Milwaukee will once again look to move a notable player in advance of a trip to the open market so that the Brewers can recoup more than just draft compensation. The closer is projected for a $7.7MM arbitration salary, as Williams’ numbers last season were limited by a stress reaction in his back that kept him off the mound until late July.
Despite the long layoff, Williams still looked like himself upon his return, posting a 1.25 ERA in 21 2/3 innings while racking up 14 saves. It is possible rival teams could still point to the back injury as a reason to limit their offers for Williams, not to mention the fact that even an elite reliever has somewhat limited trade value with just one year of remaining control.
This all being said, Williams has such an outstanding track record that the Brewers will likely be able to hold firm on a high asking price. Williams has excelled in both a set-up and closing role basically since he debuted in the majors in 2019, with a 1.83 ERA and a preposterous 39.4% strikeout rate over his 235 2/3 career innings. His 11.8% career walk rate is on the high side and memories of his blown save in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series will linger for a long time in Milwaukee, but overall, Williams is the type of pitcher any team would want at the back of their bullpen.
Los Angeles has plenty of young talent to offer Milwaukee in a potential trade, and some of the Dodgers’ MLB-ready young pitching could be of particular interest. Dealing away some of this depth might be preferable since the Dodgers have already dipped into the free agent market for Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, and Blake Treinen this offseason….or L.A. could make another splash by inking Scott to a long-term contract.
MLBTR ranked Scott as the best reliever in this year’s free agent class, and 14th overall on our list of the top 50 free agents. This designation came with a prediction of a four-year, $56MM contract, and such a deal is certainly feasible for a Dodgers team that clearly isn’t shy about spending. As Ardaya notes, L.A. was one of the many teams interested in Scott prior to the trade deadline, before the Marlins sent him to another NL West contender in the Padres.
Scott has always had plenty of strikeout power, but things didn’t fully click for him until the 2023 season. Over the last two years, Scott has a 2.04 ERA, 31.3% strikeout rate, and 10% walk rate in 150 innings with Miami and San Diego, with just six home runs allowed and a 50.4% grounder rate. Like Williams, control is a bit of an issue for Scott, yet the premium stuff is clearly there.
Ever aggressive Dodgers and ever sleepy Padres.
Ugh.
Padres have fallen asleep at the wheel. Wake up Pads. Wake up.
Their owner died. He was chasing a World Series when he clocked out – Juan Soto
With the long term contracts starting to get to their expensive parts, the new ownership is not wanting to go up to the tax threshold. We sell the place out, I’ve bought tickets to 81 games a year for a few years now. They need a TV deal. With MLB taking over the broadcasting, I don’t think they want to give it up.
Tax threshold is based on AAV, not the actual player salary for the year. Regardless, the cash escalations don’t really kick in significantly until 2027
At this point, the Dodgers are working towards the largest single season run differential.
I’d hate to be a fan of anyone else in the NL for at least the next 5 years.
Mets fans aren’t too depressed at the moment
A big boon signing Juan for sure.
After signing Soto, the NYM are now tied with the NYY for 5th in projected WAR (44.7).
Tanner Scott, please.
I think they’re trading outman or pages
Outman getting moved for sure with the addition of Conforto!
the fact that LAD would like to trade pieces like CT3 and Outman doesn’t mean there are any takers with returns of value.
Bivouac-Sal; True, they’d have to be throw ins probably.
CT3 at best I am afraid. Outman probably still has some value. But as you say, bigger talent needs to be involved.
A Devin Williams trade screams that the Dodgers are going to include Wisconsin native Gavin Lux in any deal.
People have been trying to shoehorn Gavin Lux into trades with the Brewers for years now. You can keep him. He is not good.
byron
well at least the Dodgers now know they should be talking to you.
Brewers don’t need my help, they’ve likely seen Lux play.
Not unless Bobby Miller is included. More likely a trade would include Alex Freeland and a different pitcher. There is no groundswell in Wisconsin for Lux.
Quite right he wasn’t even nominated.
Most if not all of dodgers major league ready pitching is broken down crap.
another educated opinion…
That you wish you had!
Get them both, cause why not!
These greedy pigs truly will never stop. Just let the babies have their bottle and just take whoever they want and save these other teams the embarrassment of doing the courting ritual for free agents or getting fleeced in a trade by these bullies. We’re all beyond sick of it except the clowns who call themselves Tax Dodgers “fans.”
Settle down
Settle down Francis!
Get help
You may want to look into psychotherapy. It’s baseball, not need to get so riled up. It’s not like we’re talking about getting rid of health care or social security.
What will happen when the ponzi scheme goes broke?
Whats wrong with being greedy?
Can you point on the doll where the Dodgers hurt you?
I’m a mariners fan
I’m not sick of it
You’ve made the point of an unsharpened pencil
If making moves to improve the team is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
How old are you???????
I am old enough to have purchased Luther Ingram’s (“If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Wanto Be Right” as a single in 1972. Great record.
Why do you ask?
*Want to be
Hey Mickey Mouse. Dodgers can do what they want because they have the money to do so. If your team struggles to get better, go complain to your team personal.
Tell your team’s owner to spend more. You’re the baby holding the bottle and your team’s owner keeps feeding you the same formula.
Same tired narrative from Dodgers “fans” defending their “honor.” Hey genius, owners don’t dip into their personal funds to pay players. The Dodgers mint money from their market, inflated TV deal, and merchandise. An unfair advantage that crooked MLB allows.
It’s not really a Dodgers article until we hear Mickey cry.
Mickey hitting the bottle harder than prime Mickey Mantle.
seek professional help Mickey
Until the season starts, I assume the Dodgers are in on every single player.
I wouldn’t necessarily include Treinen as dipping into the free agency market.
LA sign TEO!
It would be cool to see the reds in on this guy, trade or bump Diaz down to a setup roll
I’d be shocked if Dodgers went long term with reliever. But Phillips and Kopech are in their last years. I think I’d rather try to extend them. For less years. And less money in exchange for security.
I’m so proud of being a dodgers fan. We are the best
Yes please & yes please….
If you look up the net worth of these owners you will see several billionaires. So for example, is there any reason why the Pirates cannot afford a big time free agent when the owner is worth over $1 billion? Instead focus is on LA. Doesn’t this guy from Pittsburg deserve some scrutiny?
It is called having some self respect. You would be embarrassed winning the Masters with Huge game improvement irons
Plenty of Pirates fan give Nutting scrutiny. Most (business) owners try to avoid dipping into their own personal finances. In extreme cases, they’ll loan their own org funds if needed.
In a better world, every commenter bitching about deferrals would be required by law to explain why bottom-half payroll MLB franchises are so rarely sold.
My guess is because for most franchises it would be crippling when they actually had to start paying those deferrals and a payroll. I guess it’s TBD on the Dodgers. It should be a fun decade for them at least.
When the Dodgers say “they’re in on somebody,” they are indeed in.
Seeing as they lost out on Soto and Adames, they’re probably desperate for toys and attention. I’d ask for Rushing.
I doubt the Dodgers would trade Rushing for a one-inning pitcher. If the Brewers don’t like the Dodgers’ offer, they can trade Williams to another team.
Agreed, Rushing is top of the class now. They’d probably part with Cartaya though, or maybe River Ryan.
Ryan will miss the 2025 season. I can see pitchers like Knack or Wrobleski being included in an offer. They are not elite prospects but viable rotation candidates with several years of control. Either (or both) of those two and Cartaya in exchange for Williams and some lesser-regarded Brewers has a Friedman-like feel.
You’re going to probably need a third team, since the Brewers need a power hitting third baseman more than another catching prospect. I just included Rushing to bust balls.
I realize Ryan is out for the season, but he’s still a top prospect who has already showed well in the majors. Knack seems like too high a price for a single season of Williams. Wrobleski feels more in line. Anyway hope they are making a push for Williams. He’d fit in well.
LA needs to feel more TEO!
Knack might be a steep price, but he’s a pitcher smaller market teams should consider when stabilizing their rotation. I agree that Williams will fit in well. Build a better pitching staff from top to bottom.
I’ve learned not to worry about the Dodgers in the off-season in the Friedman era. He plays the market well and doesn’t panic. And when he makes a trade, he doesn’t overpay. It’s fun to watch. The guy waits and waits and then makes a sweetheart of a deal when we least expect it.
We are seeing a different Friedman since the last offseason. Before then he hardly ever signed a player for over $100M. We got a lot of scrapheap long shots. Some of them worked out, but at least as many didn’t. The aggressive posture he’s taking now (presumably with the blessing of ownership) is a new deal, and it’s why a lot of fans who didn’t care about the Dodgers one way or another before now hate the organization with a passion.
Williams isn’t a free agent until after the 2026 season. Not next winter…
No, hes a free agent in 2026. 2025 is his last year under his current contract.
No sir. It is 2025. Brewers wouldn’t be trying to make the deal otherwise.
Yes, he has a somewhat unusual contract in that when the Brewers declined his 2025 option he became arbitration eligible in his final team control year.
When did the decline the 2025 option? Why would they decline an option that hasn’t come up yet? His baseball reference page lists him being under team control through the 2026 season.
His option was declined on November 3, an easy call for the Brewers because he did not pitch a complete season in 2024 making his contract salary higher than his projected arbitration salary. Not sure where you are seeing him being under team control beyond 2025 as baseball reference states he becomes a free agent in 2026.
Ĥey Dodgers leave some toys for other kids to play with!!!!
No Kidding! Tanner Scott is lights out! He would help every single team in MLB. It seems with an endless checkbook, the Dodger’s pretty much will get who ever they want. There is no getting out because the price got too steep.” It’s the Dodgers.
The Dodgers also have an elite farm system despite picking near the bottom of every round annually. The scouting and player development departments are also outstanding. It’s not just about signing players. If Tanner Scott is lights-out like you say, then every team that sees themselves as a contender should be in on him.
There was an old post on The Onion about the Yankee$ signing every player in the league, and the Dodgers are kind of reminding me of that. Surprised they didn’t get Soto. I’m still glad it’s the Dodgers doing it and not the Bankee$.
I agree that every team should be in on him, but maybe 7-8 teams can actually afford him. The Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Giants, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Phillies. I would have put the Padres on this list in the past but seems like they are cutting back on spending this year. Selfishly, he would make a TREMENDOUS difference with my team, the Sea Mariners, but we don’t seem to think we need to spend cash money in our bullpen, at some point that catches up to you.
Well of course they are….hoping the Dodgers go bankrupt.
like your ideas Bob?
Yankees need Williams bad ! He’s a clear upgrade on that team and it won’t cost a lot of prospect capital to acquire him.
How do the Dodgers even have a spot open on the 26 man roster let alone the 40 man roster. Is Dave Roberts also active as a player/coach?