The Cubs’ main NL Central rival has taken a blow.

The Brewers are trading All-Star closer Devin Williams to the Yankees, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Milwaukee is acquiring left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes and second base prospect Caleb Durbin from New York.

Williams, 30, has been an elite reliever since his 2020.

In 235.2 major-league innings across 6 seasons, the two-time All-Star has a sparkling 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 375 strikeouts. He picked up a career-high 36 saves in 2023 and tallied 14 saves after missing nearly the first four months of the season with injury.

Losing Williams is a major blow for one of the top bullpens in baseball. Last season, the Brewers were second in baseball in bullpen ERA (3.11) and saves (53). Their bullpen also pitched the 4th most innings in baseball.

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There was always a chance that the Brewers dealt Williams this offseason. The 30-year-old is in his last year of team control before becoming a free agent. The Brewers have commonly traded away players when their team control winds down, having done a similar trade with Josh Hader in 2022. That season, Hader was dealt to the Padres with a year-and-a-half of team control left and netted them 4 players.

The Brewers lost star shortstop Willy Adames to free agency this offseason, as he signed a 7-year, $182 million contract with the Giants. Colin Rea, who made 27 starts and pitched 167.2 innings for them last year, also is a free agent after his club option was declined.

Cortes is a solid starter, but he also is a free agent after 2025. He made 30 starts in 2024, pitching to a 3.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 174.1 innings for the Yankees. Two years ago, the 30-year-old was an All-Star for the Yankees and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

Losing an All-Star closer is a tough blow for Milwaukee and continues to put the onus on the Cubs to strike in the NL Central. The Cubs return the crux of a team that won 83 games in back-to-back seasons. The Cardinals have signaled their intentions of focusing on the future and the Reds and Pirates have plenty of question marks surrounding them, despite some intriguing young players.