Yankees' Devin Williams has a fan in Brewers manager Pat Murphy

MILWAUKEE — Judging by the fan reaction before, during and after his latest failed outing, Devin Williams doesn’t have too many people rooting for him in the Bronx.

But he does have one fan in Milwaukee: his old manager with the Brewers, Pat Murphy.

Williams was a top Brewers reliever from 2019-24 before Milwaukee traded him to the Yankees in a payroll-mandated move last December.

The Yankees thought they were getting an elite closer. Instead, they got a pitcher with a 5.73 ERA who has two blown saves and two losses in his last four outings — the most recent one on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

Williams has allowed nine runs, seven hits (including three homers) and four walks in 4 2⁄3 innings in his last five games. He gave up at least one run in each and has been scored on  in seven of his last nine outings.

“I was with Devin for . . . how many years did we have him here? A lot,” Murphy said on Saturday before the Brewers hosted the Mets at American Family Field. “So I feel a special closeness to him and know what kind of success he can have. When I hear that he struggles, it kind of hurts, and I wish I could help.”

Williams had a 1.25 ERA and 14 saves in 22 regular-season appearances for the Brewers in 2024 (his season started late because of a back injury). His career regular-season ERA with Milwaukee was 1.83.

But Williams’ final outing in Milwaukee was Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series, when he allowed a go-ahead three-run home run by Pete Alonso in the ninth inning of the Mets’ series-clinching 3-2 victory.

On Dec. 13, 2024, the Brewers sent him to the Yankees for lefthander Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin. They didn’t trade Williams because of the Alonso homer; they dealt him because he was a year away from free agency and was getting too expensive.

“Devin knows what's up,” said Murphy, the Brewers' manager since 2023 and the team’s bench coach before that. “He knows how we do business, what our payroll is about and how guys in that kind of situation, we will sometimes move on if we feel like we can gain some pieces back. So I think it was inevitable that it was going to happen. I think he knew that. So it wasn't tough — just wishing him well.”

Murphy said he has continued to wish Williams well during the reliever’s tough Yankees season.

“I've texted him a couple times since then, just letting him know that he's got people that are behind him,” Murphy said. “I don't like to hear that [he’s struggling].”

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.