Williams Is Opened To Coming Back, But We Don't Need Him

Williams didn’t just struggle in New York — he was a full-blown disaster. His “Airbender” pitch? It disappeared, all right — just not in the way he intended. Every time he took the mound at Yankee Stadium, it felt like a scheduled implosion. The guy was supposed to be the stabilizer for the bullpen, but instead, he turned every late inning into a group therapy session for Yankee fans.

And now, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Williams says he’s “definitely open to” returning to New York this offseason — though he adds, “it takes two parties for that.” 

Translation: I’m interested in coming back, but someone over there has to forget how bad I was first. Williams also admitted that playing in New York was “a challenge,” but claimed, “I’ve grown to love being here. I love the city. I love taking the train to the field every day. I really enjoyed my experience.”

That’s sweet, Devin. Truly. But loving the 4 train doesn’t make you a reliable reliever. The fans didn’t hide their frustration because you didn’t hide your meltdowns. You were supposed to be a weapon — instead, you were a warning label.

And let’s be honest: the Yankees never needed him in the first place. This was Brian Cashman’s classic move — overthink the obvious, make an unnecessary trade, and then act confused when it blows up. Since acquiring Williams, the bullpen was a circus, the rotation fell apart, and the postseason — surprise, surprise — ended in misery. Again.

That’s because this entire operation — from Cashman to the analytics crew — built a team for 162 games, not for October. They love their charts, exit velocities, spin rates, and expected whatevers, but they completely forgot that playoff baseball requires heart, guts, and players who don’t crumble under pressure. The Yankees are built like a regular-season simulation — and once the calendar flips to October, that simulation crashes.

And the worst part? No one gets held accountable. Cashman keeps his job. The analytics department keeps spinning numbers like a carnival wheel. And now we’re actually entertaining the idea of bringing back the guy who was part of that failure? That’s not a plan — that’s insanity.

Devin Williams can love New York all he wants — the city, the trains, the skyline. But unless he learns how to throw strikes in Yankee Stadium, he can keep that love story long-distance. Because the Yankees don’t need nostalgia; they need results.

Cashman and his analytics empire should be the ones packing their bags, not rearranging the same broken pieces. The Yankees are a mess right now, and the fact that we’re even talking about bringing back a reliever who couldn’t handle New York proves it. Williams may be “open” to a return — but the Yankees should slam that door shut and finally fire the people who keep opening it in the first place.