The Devin Williams chapter as the New York Yankees’ closer appears to be on pause—for now. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed Sunday that the team is making a change at the back end of the bullpen. “For right now, I’m going to take [Williams] out of that role,” Boone said, according to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty. That leaves the Yankees reevaluating their ninth-inning strategy and searching for a new reliable finisher.
One potential solution? Jhoan Durán of the Minnesota Twins. Despite recording just two saves this season, Durán has been sharp with a 1.59 ERA over 12 appearances. His low save total has more to do with Minnesota’s struggles than his performance. Over the past two seasons, Durán racked up 50 saves for the Twins, proving he can handle high-pressure situations.
While the Yankees haven’t given up on Williams entirely, a closer-by-committee approach could be in the cards—something Durán could thrive in. Boone emphasized the team’s commitment to helping Williams regain form, saying, “We want to do everything we can to get him right because we know how good he is and how valuable he’s going to be for us,” as reported by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.
Still, with the Yankees in need of stability late in games, continuing to rely on Williams wasn’t sustainable—especially given his recent inconsistency, despite his previous success in Milwaukee. Acquiring Durán could give the Yankees the dependable closer they need, but with 2.5 years of team control remaining, the 27-year-old wouldn’t come cheap.
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