Red Sox Reportedly Eyeing Yankees Hurler With Massive Upside

The Boston Red Sox don't necessarily need to add another big-name bullpen arm, but it sounds like the organization isn't leaving any stone unturned.

Boston had one of the best overall bullpens in baseball in 2025. The Red Sox finished the regular season with the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball at 3.41. Aroldis Chapman led the way with a 1.17 ERA in 67 appearances. Boston also has Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, Justin Slaten, and others still around this bullpen heading into 2026. The Red Sox have someone with high upside, but coming off a bad season as well in Jordan Hicks.

All of this is to say, the Red Sox's bullpen is set up to be really good again in 2026. But, that isn't stopping the organization. The Athletic's Will Sammon reported that Boston is one of roughly 12 teams that have shown interest in two-time All-Star and two-time Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Devin Williams.

"One week into free agency, approximately 12 teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, expressed interest in Williams, league sources said," Sammon wrote. "Indeed, Williams, 31, is a popular name at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, home of this year’s general managers’ meetings.

The Red Sox reportedly are interested in Devin Williams

"What makes Williams’ free agency so interesting is the discrepancy among industry opinions on what kind of contract he can land, largely due to his 2025 season. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Williams for one year, $18 million, whereas MLB Trade Rumors suggested four years, $68 million."

Williams spent the 2025 season with the New York Yankees after being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers. It was the worst season of his career with a 4.79 ERA in 67 appearances. But, this is a guy who arguably was the top reliever in baseball throughout his six-year run in Milwaukee. He logged a 1.83 ERA in 241 outings with Milwaukee.

At just 31 years old, there's no reason to give up on him as a high-end reliever despite one bad year. One reason for this is that he looked like himself down the stretch. From August 10th through the end of the regular season he had a 2.50 ERA in 19 appearances. He also had four scoreless appearances in the playoffs for New York.

If the Red Sox could land a guy like Williams, there's a good chance Boston would have the best overall bullpen in baseball next year. A three-headed monster of Chapman, Whitlock, and Williams would shorten games for the Boston rotation and give the organization a super bullpen.

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