The idea of the Cincinnati Reds signing Devin Williams — on the surface — sounds too good to be true. But his preference to stay close to home may work in the Reds favor. Cincinnati may actually be in play thanks to Williams' Midwest roots.
The hard-throwing right-hander is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, that could weigh heavily into Williams' free agent decision. Nightengale mentioned the Los Angeles Dodgers as an obvious suitor for the All-Star closer, but is reporting that rival teams have been told that if Williams has his druthers, he would love to stay in the Midwest.