Devin Williams won’t be back in pinstripes for the 2026 season. Less than a calendar year after the New York Yankees landed the All-Star closer, Williams signed with their crosstown rival, the New York Mets.

Yes, Williams had an underwhelming season in one year in the Bronx. However, the Yankees still relied on him in high-leverage moments, and at the very least, need to fill his role this winter.

Here are three pitchers the Yankees should pursue with Williams officially not coming back to the Bronx next season. 

When Williams was having issues in the ninth inning, the Yankees turned to Luke Weaver to take on the closer role, and the 32-year-old succeeded in that role for the most part. Now, with Williams headed to Flushing, re-signing the 32-year-old makes a ton of sense for New York.

Even though Weaver’s 2025 season wasn’t as good as 2024, and he was horrendous in the playoffs, the right-hander has still been more than a quality pitcher for the Yankees since landing in New York. Over the last three seasons, Weaver has a 3.22 ERA, 0.944 WHIP, 12 saves, and his ERA+ is 27 percent better than league average over this stretch.

Re-signing Weaver may not be the flashiest move for Brian Cashman, but it could be a safe option for a New York bullpen that needs some work this winter. 

Edwin Diaz and Williams headlined the reliever market in this free agent class, but right after those two in terms of bullpen talent is Pete Fairbanks. Now that the Yankees know they won’t have Williams back, Fairbanks could be a great option to replace him.

One of the issues with Williams in New York was his inconsistency, but Fairbanks has been one of the most consistent relievers in MLB over the last few years. He’s recorded 20-or-more saves in each of the last three seasons.

In 2025, Fairbanks had a 2.83 ERA and a 1.044 WHIP. Williams’ ceiling may have been higher than Fairbanks, but the former Yankee closer’s floor is arguably lower than Fairbanks’ at this point in their career. 

The Mets stole of of the Yankees’ pitchers in free agency. Now it’s time for Cashman to return the favor and target Gregory Soto for a role in his bullpen.

Soto had decent success in his role as a high-leverage pitcher last season, registering an ERA of 4.18 and a 1.43 WHIP. Plus, the left-handed had a chase-rate of 31.5 percent, whiff-rate of 29.9 percent, and a strikeout rate of 25.1 percent.

Again, these numbers are consistent with the pitcher Soto has been throughout his career, and that’s what New York needs.

Soto may not be the Yankees’ next closer, but he could be a reliable depth piece for the bullpen.