This is one of several daily pieces showcasing the most recent news and notes from the MLB offseason.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were interested in signing catcher Gary Sánchez, but he ultimately chose to join a division opponent.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Sánchez has agreed to terms with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old will sign a one-year contract worth $7 million with a mutual option in 2025.
Sánchez, a longtime New York Yankee, rejuvenated his career on both sides of the ball with the San Diego Padres last season. Sánchez hit 19 home runs and drove in 46 RBIs over 72 games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
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Defensively, the experienced backstop improved significantly. He had a career-high seven defensive runs saved to go along with a great average pop time (1.90 seconds) and above-average pitch framing.
Sánchez is expected to be the Brewers’ backup catcher behind William Contreras, who was an All-Star in 2022 and had a strong debut season in Milwaukee. The Brewers have added a lot of catching depth this offseason, including Eric Hasse and Austin Nola, in addition to Sanchez.
Why Trading Devin Williams Makes Sense
The Brewers’ bullpen is stacked, and Devin Williams’s value has never been higher. One contender may be getting desperate. Is the timing right to trade the Crew”s relief ace?
With the team’s retooling following the addition of brilliant shortstop Joey Ortiz and electrifying arm DL Hall, speculations are brewing about Willy Adames and Devin Williams. The Brewers’ bullpen is a cyclone of variety and talent, giving them the option to retool their roster, and the return for Williams may be enormous.
How valuable is Devin Williams?
Williams has an ERA that begins with a “one,” which only Emmanuel Clase can likewise claim. Since 2020, Williams’ 1.75 ERA has been the best in baseball among pitchers with over 200 innings, with 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings and 0.5 home runs per nine. His “airbender” pitch is one of the most deadly in baseball. He has demonstrated unrivaled longevity and excellent performance, and with two years of team control remaining, his value as a reliever is extraordinarily high. Anyone that acquires Devin Williams’ arm will be getting the best reliever in baseball, and several teams would be thrilled to have a closer of his caliber on their squad.
While Williams’s value is high, there are a few other factors at play surrounding the uncertainty of the Brewers 2024 season. This roster is heavily reliant on rookies and young performers finding their feet, and on getting the right side of some wide potential variance in the starting rotation. Featuring the high-octane Abner Uribe (1.76 ERA), who could take on the closer’s role, along with Joel Payamps (2.55), Hoby Milner (1.82) and the likes of Trevor Megill and Elvis Peguero, the Brewers’ talent-laden bullpen should be able to cope with the loss of Williams if it means boosting the team elsewhere.
Furthermore, with the acquisition of Jakob Junis, the Brewers are left with the up-and-coming Robert Gasser; injury returnee Aaron Ashby; and veteran newcomer Joe Ross fighting it out for the final spots in the rotation. With every possibility of Ashby and/or Ross ending up in the bullpen, it further cramps the relievers they have in tow already, meaning someone is likely to be moved. Williams’s limited years of control and not-insubstantial salary makes him a prime candidate to be that guy. On top of that, the simple fact is this: the airbender is a screwball. This matters, because screwballs are notorious for putting an immense load on the elbow and shoulder, and it could be just a matter of time before Williams finds this out.
