Yankees news: Devin Williams signs with the Mets

The Mets agreed to a three-year deal with Devin Williams Monday, with his salary expected to exceed $50 million. The Athletic’s Will Sammon was the first to report the contract, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan adding the financial terms. After emerging as one of the sport’s elite relievers during six years in Milwaukee, the right-hander spent a tumultuous 2025 with the Yankees, posting a 4.79 ERA and twice being demoted from the closer role. He pitched well in the playoffs, tossing four scoreless innings, and retained elite whiff and strikeout rates on the year, suggested he had not lost his elite stuff. With both Williams and Luke Weaver hitting free agency after the season, the Yankees are expected to reload their bullpen, a process that some speculated could include a reunion with Williams.

Baseball America | Josh Norris: ($) Baseball America published their list of the Yankees’ top 10 prospects entering 2026 on Monday. Shortstop George Lombard Jr. topped the list on the strength of his pedigree as a former first-rounder and a torrid start to the year, getting on base at a .495 clip through 24 South Atlantic League games. The 20-year-old struggled to find his footing once promoted to Double-A, where his lack of aggression at the plate and difficulty with high fastballs were exposed. Lombard projects as a well-rounded bat with the potential to play solid defense on the left side of the infield. Realistically, he’s still at least another year away from the Show.

Slotting in at number two is right-hander Elmer Rodríguez. Acquired from Boston in the Carlos Narvaez trade, the hurler punched out 176 batters in 2024 — second-most in the minors. After finishing the year at Triple-A and getting added to the 40-man roster this offseason, the 22-year-old has a chance to make his MLB debut this year. Rounding out the top five are 2025 first-round shortstop Dax Kilby and right-handers Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess. Spencer Jones slots in sixth, with his 2025 power surge mitigated by the swing-and-miss in his offensive profile.

Daily News | Gary Phillips: ($) After emerging as a phenom in a dominant Wild Card start against the Red Sox — and following it up with social media heel turn towards his hometown — Massachusetts native Cam Schlittler is recharging for his sophomore season. He’s walked back some of his inflammatory comments about Boston, which he indicated were directed towards those insulting his family, not the city itself, and taken a break from social media. Most notably, the 24-year-old is working to incorporate another pitch to his arsenal, possibly a splitter but likely a changeup. “We’re trying to get him something that he can get below the barrel but can command,” said pitching coach Matt Blake of Schlittler’s repertoire. “How do you avoid the foul ball war? How do you get some weak contact at times?”

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) A mailbag of Yankees’ offseason questions. The familiar refrain — ‘when will the Yankees move on from Anthony Volpe?’ — is met with a clear ‘not this year.’ Kirschner is skeptical that the Padres will move right fielder Fernando Tatis, but agrees the Yankees should pursue him full boar if he’s available. He also pours cold water on the idea that Aaron Judge should move to first base to keep him healthy, citing his strong defensive metrics this season. Lastly, look for the Yankees to consider adding a platoon partner for the left-handed Ryan McMahon at third, perhaps through a reunion with Amed Rosario or a pursuit of Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In advance of next week’s winter meetings, reading the tea leaves of what the Yankees’ top priorities will likely be. After a deeply uneven 2025, adding to the bullpen should be at or near the top of the list. So, too, should bringing aboard one of Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker. In addition to the free agent market, the Yankees’ front office could look to augment via trade, with outfielders Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones among their most viable chips to dangle. With the Rule 5 draft looming, New York has also left two top-10 prospects unguarded: Henry Lalane (No. 9) and Brock Selvidge (No. 10).

MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: Like many baseball pundits this offseason, Feinsand took a pass at projecting a top free agent signing for each team. Unlike many, though, he projected former Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette landing with the Yankees when the music stops. The thinking is this: Bichette could fill in at short this season as Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery and then jump to second in 2027 when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits free agency. The flip side is that this thought experiment has the Mets poaching the Yankees’ top free agent for the second consecutive year, signing Cody Bellinger to augment an outfield that just lost mainstay Brandon Nimmo.

Among other rumored Yankees targets, Feinsand has outfielder Kyle Tucker going to the Blue Jays, starter Michael King signing with the Cubs, starter Tatsuya Imai going to the Giants, corner infielder Munetaka Murakami landing with the Mariners, Devin Williams returning to the Brewers, and Luke Weaver signing with the Athletics.

NJ.com | Bridget Hyland: Former Reds and National GM and current The Athletic contributor Jim Bowden linked the Yankees to Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara during a recent radio spot. The two teams have “had a lot of discussions” about the former Cy Young Award winner, who would fill an area of need in the Yankees’ rotation with several starters expected to begin the season on the IL. Bowden suggests outfield prospect Spencer Jones could serve as the lynchpin of a potential Alcantara swap, freeing the team to pursue another outfielder via free agency without needing to sign a rotation piece as well. Alcantara struggled overall this season, pitching to an 11-12 record and 5.36 ERA, though his second-half numbers (7-3, 3.33) were much more encouraging. The right-hander is owed $17.6 million for 2026 and has a $21 million club option for 2027.