Devin Williams Joins Mets, Leaving Brewers Fans With a Familiar Sting
In the end, the Brewers might’ve come out ahead in the Devin Williams trade. Caleb Durbin stepped into the spotlight with a breakout rookie season, locking down the starting job at third base and finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. That’s no small feat, especially considering the early struggles of Nestor Cortes, who never quite found his footing in Milwaukee before being flipped to the Padres at the deadline.
But while the Brewers found a long-term piece, the Yankees wound up with a version of Devin Williams that looked nothing like the All-Star closer he once was. Williams posted a career-worst 4.79 ERA, lost his grip on the closer role, and never fully recovered his dominance. Now, he’s headed across town to the Mets on a new deal, closing the book on a short, rocky stint in pinstripes-and opening a new chapter that’s bound to stir emotions in Milwaukee.
Let’s rewind for a second. October 3, 2024.
Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series. The Brewers were up 2-0 in the ninth, just two outs away from their first postseason series win since 2018.
Williams was on the mound, tasked with sealing the deal. But one pitch-a changeup that didn’t quite dance the way it usually does-ended up in Pete Alonso’s wheelhouse.
Just like that, the Mets flipped the script, and Milwaukee’s season was over.
Fast forward to now, and that same pitcher-who wore the heartbreak of that moment-just signed with the very team that delivered the gut punch. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Brewers fans.
It’s not about loyalty, necessarily. Williams was traded before his contract year, a clear sign that the Brewers weren’t planning to pay him top-tier closer money.
He doesn’t owe them anything. But there’s something undeniably poetic-and painful-about him choosing the Mets, of all teams.
This isn’t quite the same as Corbin Burnes chasing a $200 million deal with the Diamondbacks. That was business.
This feels personal, even if it isn’t. Williams hand-picked the team that marked the lowest point of his Brewers career.
And now, his name will be forever linked to the Mets, not just for that Wild Card moment, but for this next chapter of his career.
For Yankees fans, the Williams era will likely be remembered more for the beard policy he helped change than anything he did on the mound. He arrived, forced the team to drop its decades-old no-beard rule, struggled in the closer role, and then bolted for their crosstown rivals. It’s a whirlwind tenure that somehow managed to be both historic and forgettable.
As for the Brewers, they’ve moved on. Durbin looks like a foundational piece, and the team has retooled in other areas.
But if there’s a rematch with Williams and the Mets in October down the road, don’t be surprised if that old wound reopens. Because in Milwaukee, the memory of that ninth inning still lingers-and now, the man at the center of it is wearing Mets blue.