Dodgers ready to make another bullpen mistake with old trade candidate that got away

The Dodgers don't actually need to have a very active offseason, but chances are that they will anyway. The rotation is full (maybe even overflowing after injury returns) and the only position players lost to free agency were Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas. The only part of the roster really in need of some work is the bullpen.

They could focus on the pitchers they already have and try to fix them ahead of the 2026 season, but it's far more likely they'll throw a lot of money at new arms instead.

Jeff Passan already wrote that the "perfect transaction" for the Dodgers would be signing Mets closer Edwin Díaz, who opted out of his contract, and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the Dodgers are eyeing former trade target Devin Williams, among others. According to Ardaya, the interest in Williams is mutual.

The Dodgers were actively chasing Williams last offseason and even got close to making a deal with the Brewers before the Yankees came in through the back door to steal him. It turned out to be a blessing after the year Williams ended up having in New York; he put up a 4.79 ERA over 62 innings and was eventually moved out of the closer role.

But the Dodgers do love a project.

Dodgers express interest in former trade candidate Devin Williams despite awful year with Yankees

Williams would at least be less of a risk than any reliever they could sign to a multi-year deal. His awful 2025 season means that he could be in line to get a one-year prove-it contract wherever he ends up next (though ESPN still charitably predicted a three-year deal). He's still could end up being the highest-paid reliever (on an AAV basis) on any team he ends up with (The Athletic predicts $18 million), but at least, if the experiment weren't to go well, they could wipe their hands clean after 2026 if they get their way on a short-term contract.

It's hard to say what exactly went wrong for Williams in the Bronx, as his underlying metrics indicate there still might be an elite pitcher underneath all of his struggles this year.

That's all the Dodgers need to see, really.

Even when players do manage to slip away from them, they stay dogged (they're also expected to renew their chase for Steven Kwan this offseason). There's no doubt they believe they can fix Williams, even though the exact opposite happened with Tanner Scott. The Dodgers want who they want, and in this case it looks like they have a good chance to get it, too.