Could Marquee Rangers Prospect Be On Move In Proposed Trade With Brewers?
Milwaukee Brewers star closer Devin Williams has found himself in the middle of a bunch of news headlines over the last few weeks. Initially, it was because he surrendered the go-ahead home run to Pete Alonso that ended Milwaukee’s season, but now the attention is on him as a trade candidate. The Brewers declined Williams’ club option for 2025, opting to go the route of arbitration before he enters free agency next offseason. But the speculation has grown that Williams could be a trade candidate rather than somebody Milwaukee tries to re-sign.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently connected Williams to the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, posing a very interesting hypothetical trade in the process.
For the Rangers, Williams would be a huge addition, but they would need to be sure they have a piece in place to fill Leiter’s void. They may eventually regret trading Leiter if he develops into the pitcher that he was projected to be, though. The Brewers would be selling low on Williams if they dealt him this offseason. During the 2024 season, relievers were being traded for massive returns.
Ultimately, trading Williams may not be the smartest move for Milwaukee. He’s consistently been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last half-decade. Milwaukee was comfortable moving Josh Hader because it had Williams behind him to fill in. If the Brewers move Williams, they don’t have another elite arm to take over.
In other news, Texas declined a $6.5 million team option for left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, whom they acquired from Detroit in a trade at the deadline.
Chafin received a $500,000 buyout and became a free agent after making 62 combined appearances in 2024, which triggered $625,000 in bonuses on top of his $4.75 million salary, plus a $250,000 assignment bonus for the trade.
Eovaldi had a 24-13 record with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts over the past two seasons, striking out 298 batters in 314 2/3 innings. He finished this season with a 12-8 record and a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts.
His final game of the season was a seven-inning shutout performance against the Los Angeles Angels, securing a win for the Rangers, who finished the season with a 78-84 record and missed the playoffs.
Texas was the sixth MLB team for Eovaldi, who has a career record of 91-81 with a 4.07 ERA in 294 games (275 starts) since making his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011. Besides Boston, Nathan Eovaldi has also played for Miami, the New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay.
His $34 million contract with the Rangers included a $16 million salary for each of the past two seasons, along with a $2 million signing bonus. He also earned extra bonuses for being an All-Star in 2023 and for reaching certain innings pitched milestones.
