The New York Mets signed Devin Williams as an insurance policy should Edwin Diaz walk in free agency.
Well, Diaz walked, signing a reported three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. That means if the season started today, Williams will be the Mets’ closer.
“We’re very comfortable with that,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said, though he could not comment on Diaz’s departure as the agreement has not been made official. “I’ve certainly seen Devin perform at a very high level for a long time. I have full confidence that he can be one of the best relievers in baseball. I think he’s very motivated to do that, and I’m looking forward to watching that.”
Stearns helped develop Williams into one of the game’s best closers during their time with the Milwaukee Brewers. He owned a 1.83 ERA across six seasons with the team, garnering 68 saves, two All-Star appearances, and two Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Awards.
But the 31-year-old right-hander had a nightmare debut season with the crosstown Yankees in 2025 and ultimately lost the closer job multiple times.
He ended the season with a career-worst 4.79 ERA and four blown saves, though he stabilized toward the end of the regular season and into the postseason by finishing with 13 straight scoreless innings.
However, when asked if he would still consider bringing in another big bullpen arm to provide a secondary late-inning option, Stearns said, “We’ll see.”
“We’re having plenty of conversations,” he continued. “I think there are different ways to build a bullpen, and we’re going to continue to explore all of them.”
As it stands, the Mets have a pair of proven southpaw options to work the later innings in Brooks Raley and AJ Minter, though the latter is coming off season-ending lat surgery from the spring.
