The New York Yankees have already had an active offseason. Even after losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets, they signed Max Fried and traded for Devin Williams. The latter came over in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that sent Nestor Cortes Jr and Caleb Durbin to Wisconsin. Williams. the new Yankees closer and pending free agent, spoke about a potential extension at his opening press conference.

“I think if it's right for both sides, ya know, that's definitely always an option. Nothing has been discussed up until now so I can't really comment too much on that.”

Williams was one of the best closers in baseball during his tenure with the Brewers. His career ERA is 1.83, he has two NL Reliever of the Year awards, and was the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year. After Clay Holmes struggled in the closer role last year, Luke Weaver closed games for the Yankees in the postseason. Now, they have one of the best in the game to shut the door.

Reliever extensions are relatively uncommon considering the volatility of pitchers. The Yankees sent two quality pieces to the Brewers, so they should work to keep Williams. But they can look to another ex-Brewers closer as a cautionary tale of closer extensions.

Yankees must avoid Josh Hader-level mistake with Devin Williams

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The Houston Astros signed Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract before last season. He is the second-highest-paid player on the team behind only Jose Altuve at $19 million per year. Hader was solid this season, with a WHIP under one, 34 saves, and only four blown saves. But now Kyle Tucker is gone and Alex Bregman may be too. A closer cannot replace those hitters.

The Yankees are in a position to spend that they did not expect to be in. Juan Soto was on the team and they thought the year-long sell job would help them land him long-term. But that is not how it played out and they have money to spend. Williams is a great pitcher but has had playoff struggles and is 30 years old. Any extension has to be reasonable.

It was made clear in the press conference that the Yankees made a significant push for Williams. They outbid the Dodgers at the last moment to bring him in. Because of that pursuit, it is not outlandish to assume an extension is coming soon. But they should prioritize offensive additions this offseason.