The New York Mets signed free agent reliever Devin Williams to a three-year deal on Monday night, solidifying the back-end of their bullpen for 2026 and beyond.

And while the Toronto Blue Jays had been linked to Williams, the real impact of this move may come next.

With Williams now in the fold in New York, does that mean that Edwin Diaz won't return to the Mets, and therefore make it more likely that the Blue Jays can swoop in for his services?

It would seem to.

How it would impact the bullpen

The Jays were linked to Diaz earlier in the offseason, so it's likely that they remain interested in one of the premier closers in the game. Set to turn 32 years old in March, Diaz is a nine-year veteran of the Seattle Mariners and Mets. A three-time All-Star, he has a career ERA of 2.82.

Though the Blue Jays were just minutes away from winning the World Series in 2025, it was clear that the bullpen was the biggest weakness on the roster throughout October, and that's only exacerbated by Seranthony Dominguez hitting free agency.

If Diaz were come into the fold, he'd take over the ninth-inning duties, with Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia being able to handle the seventh and eighth. Combined with the excellent Jays starting rotation, that would give them one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball.

How about the money?

Diaz is reportedly looking for a similar deal to the one he last had, which was five years and just over $100 million.

While a lot of money, the Blue Jays have shown no resistance to spending, especially after inking Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal worth $210 million. The real question is, if they engage on Diaz, will they sit out the sweepstakes for offensive help like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, and what about Bo Bichette, who they've wanted to retain?

Having the Mets potentially out of the way in the Diaz market means one less big-market team to compete with, which is always good, but the Dodgers and Yankees are still lurking. Having just lost Williams, the Yankees could be very interested.

Timing

The baseball world will reconvene this weekend at the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla. Big deals, like this one, could come together then. The Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet at the winter meetings in 2024, while Juan Soto and Willy Adames also signed their big deals there.

RELATED BLUE JAYS STORIES

TIEDEMANN FASCINATING FOR 2026: Once one of the top prospects in the sport, Ricky Tiedemann just became one of the most fascinating players on the Toronto roster for 2026. CLICK HERE:

KEY TO THE COUNTY: Ernie Clement was recently welcomed back to his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. CLICK HERE: 

DRAFT PENALTIES: Signing Dylan Cease is a good move for the Jays, but it comes with consequences. CLICK HERE: 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Remember to join our BLUE JAYS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Blue Jays fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!