Devin Williams entered free agency among the biggest names on the reliever market this offseason, and now he's heading to Queens. On Monday night, Williams and the New York Mets agreed to a three-year contract that ESPN's Jeff Passan reported will pay him more than $50 million in total over the course of the deal. It's a big splash again for Steve Cohen and the Mets that should help to fortify what was largely a weakness in the bullpen for them last season.
One of the initial reactions to Williams heading to the Mets, though, is that Edwin Diaz is likely gone from New York. And yes, Cohen and Company are committing a ton of money to Williams now, and Diaz is expected to command an even more lucrative contract. That, in turn, had some thinking that Diaz was essentially just gift-wrapped for the two teams that were just playing in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. That, however, might not necessarily be the case.
Dodgers and Blue Jays should be Edwin Diaz favorites, but it's not a slam-dunk
Make no mistake, Williams going to the Mets on this expensive of a contract does make the Dodgers and Blue Jays the two favorites to sign Diaz in free agency. Not only are we talking about two franchises who are entirely willing to spend top-of-market money for the right pieces, but they are also in dire need of bullpen help going into the 2026 season as well.
At the same time, though, Passan previously reported earlier in the offseason that the Mets would at least mull the possibility of signing both Williams and Diaz. So it certainly seemed noteworthy that, after reporting the deal between New York and their new reliever, that the insider once again mentioned Diaz with the Mets as something that's still possible.
Devin Williams' deal with the Mets is three years with no opt-outs or options, per source. He'll be there and pitching at the back end -- and maybe in the ninth inning, depending on where Edwin Díaz goes -- for the foreseeable future.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 2, 2025
New York insider Anthony DiComo furthered that sentiment, reporting that the Mets are still interested in Diaz returning to Queens.
There are still so many dominos left to fall when it comes to free agency, the reliever market included, even with Williams and Ryan Helsley (who signed with the Orioles over the weekend) off the board. At the same time, anyone writing Williams signing with the Mets off as a formality that Diaz will end up in Los Angeles or Toronto.
He certainly could — but it also seems equally as likely he ends up back in New York as well. And while the Dodgers and Blue Jays aren't getting the gift that they hoped for, Steve Cohen has to be grinning widely after this, because it puts them Mets in a terrific position moving forward.
Mets now have leverage and options with their bullpen
While it's obviously surprising to see Williams come off the market before Diaz — and for the Mets to still be involved with the bigger-ticket item in free agency — doing so puts New York in a fascinating position moving forward. It's one of the luxuries of a player like Williams. He's proven himself as both an elite set-up man and a closer, his year with the Yankees (and a run of what most metrics would attribute to bad luck) not withstanding.
As such, that's why the door is open for the Mets to go down a variety of paths. They can maintain their pursuit to re-sign Diaz, which would then relegate Williams to being a set-up man with Diaz as the established closer in New York. Considering their continued involvement with their incumbent closer, we can at least halfway assume that's Plan A for the Mets. And for what it's worth, while the Williams deal is expensive, this is Steve Cohen we're talking about spending after all.
But if the money or years don't align between New York and Diaz, the Mets aren't going to be left out in the cold. They could turn their attention to a Robert Suarez, Luke Weaver, Danny Coulombe or whoever and have Williams as the closer. In either case, they're setting the bullpen up for success.
Considering what a sore spot that this was for this team a year ago, it's not surprising that the Mets are not just making the bullpen a priority, but are giving themselves multiple avenues to build a complete and effective unit for the 2026 campaign. Williams is a plus addition, and opens the door to even more of the same.