The New York Yankees have acquired reliever Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers, it was announced Friday. Pitcher Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and some money are going to Milwaukee.

Williams, 30, made 14 saves in 22 appearances with the Brewers last season. He missed the first three months of the season due to a stress fracture in his back. After his return, Williams allowed just three earned runs over 21 2/3 innings in the regular season.

In the postseason, Williams appeared twice in Milwaukee’s series against the New York Mets. It was Williams who gave up Pete Alonso’s ninth-inning home run in Game 3, sparking the Mets’ decisive surge in the series.

The Brewers declined Williams’ $10.5 million option for the 2025 season and he will enter his final arbitration season in 2025.

Williams, a two-time NL All-Star and 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, spent all six of his MLB seasons with the Brewers and filled the role of closer, recording 68 saves in 235 2/3 innings and posting a 1 rating. 83 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

The addition of Williams, as well as the return of Jonathan Loáisiga, who is undergoing Tommy John surgery, will bolster the Yankees’ bullpen. The question remains whether manager Aaron Boone will use Williams or Luke Weaver as the team’s closer in 2025.

Clay Holmes, who was the Yankees’ closer until he lost the job to Weaver, signed with the New York Mets last week.

Cortes has emerged as a reliable starter since seeing an increased workload in 2021. He made 84 starts for the Yankees over the last four seasons (173 1/3 innings in 2024), although with the addition of Max Fried to the Yankees it was clear that someone in the rotation needed to be moved.