HATE TO TELL YOU WE TOLD YOU SO, BUT WILLIAMS IS GONZO

It was obvious. It was painfully obvious. Luke Weaver was always the Yankees' closer — everyone saw it. Everyone except Brian Cashman, apparently, who decided to pull off one of the dumbest moves of the season by trading for Devin Williams.

Fast forward to now: after an ugly 11.25 ERA, a brutal 2.375 WHIP, and seven walks in just eight innings, the Yankees have finally yanked Williams from the closer role. Aaron Boone confirmed on Sunday what every Yankee fan with a pulse already knew — Luke Weaver is officially the closer.

Weaver, a former starter who the Yankees wisely transitioned to full-time bullpen duty in 2024, posted a 2.89 ERA during the season and absolutely shined under October pressure. Yet somehow, the Yankees thought it was a good idea to bring in Williams — who looked like a shell of himself from the jump — and hand him the ninth inning.

And if that wasn’t enough, Williams is also the guy who basically forced the Yankees to bend the beard policy. Great. We let him grow a beard and hand him the closer’s job... and he rewards us with batting practice numbers. Brilliant.

Now, Williams is being demoted to low-leverage mop-up duty in hopes he can rebuild his shattered confidence. News flash: we knew he wasn’t the guy the second we saw him stumble out of the gate. This wasn’t rocket science. It’s just another chapter in the long, tired saga of Cashman overthinking the obvious.

Luke Weaver was right there the whole time. Right in front of us. Right in front of them. And now, after wasting valuable games, shaking up the bullpen, and bending team culture for a guy who didn’t deserve it, the Yankees are back to where they should’ve been in the first place.

Congratulations, Cash. You blew it. Plain and simple.