For much of the offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers have been rumored to be looking to cut costs, especially with a few of the team's most important players, such as Corbin Burnes, approaching free agency. Burnes, in particular, has been the subject of trade rumors aplenty as he will cost the Brewers a pretty penny in arbitration. However, in a bit of a mild shock, the Brewers were able to avoid arbitration altogether with Burnes, signing him to a one-year, $15.6 million contract.

This is certainly an interesting decision from the Brewers, as they may be trying to repair their relationship with Burnes after contentious negotiations last year. But it looks like the Brewers simply won't be relinquishing their NL Central crown without a fight.

Following their agreement with Burnes, they were also able to strike a deal with 29-year-old closer Devin Williams, signing him to a one-year deal worth $7.25 million for 2024 with a club option for 2025 worth $10.5 million (with $1 million in incentives and a $250K buyout), per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

This deal essentially means that Williams will now have a bit of financial security in his final two years of team control under the Brewers. The contract the Brewers offered is also a bit of a generous one, as Williams was projected to make around $6.1 million in arbitration.

Devin Williams has blossomed into one of the best relief pitchers in the entire MLB. In his first full season as the Brewers' closer, he tallied 36 saves in 61 appearances, putting up a pristine 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings of work. This was good for a 1.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, making him one of the more valuable relievers in the league.

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The best part with Williams is that he has remained consistent over his past five seasons for the Brewers. He's always put up an astronomical strikeout rate, which bodes well for his late-game appearances, and he's consistently limited hard contact.

Arbitration hasn't quite caught up yet to the importance of relievers in today's game, hence Williams' low projected salary. But the Brewers clearly see him as one of the more important pieces for the team, especially as they try to hold on to their status as the best team in the NL Central this upcoming season.