New York Mets GM David Stearns effectively swapped closers by playing the free agent market, and yesterday he addressed the logic of adding new closer Devin Williams while allowing former closer Edwin Diaz leave to take a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I'm not going to talk about any specific negotiation," said Stearns, who declined to directly comment on Diaz's agreement with the Dodgers because it was not yet official, with his comments reported by Jorge Castillo of ESPN at this week’s winter meetings in Orlando. "What I'll say is once you add to a certain part of our team that will change the calculus in how you look at your team in general."
To simplify, that “calculus” was all about Williams being a cheaper add compared to retaining Diaz. Both closers signed three-year deals, but Williams will cost the Mets $51 million rather than the $69 million Diaz will reportedly receive in his Dodgers deal. In addition, $15 million of Williams money will be deferred, accordion to Castillo.
Williams stated that he was willing to be the setup man for Diaz after he signed his deal, but in hindsight it’s now clear that was never going to happen. Williams will close, and Stearns knows what that looks like from his time with the Milwaukee Brewers when he watched Williams rise to elite status.
"And we're comfortable with that," he said. "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 him."
Williams had a down year, but his numbers over the long haul aren’t that different from those Diaz posted. Diaz earned 28 saves to go with a 1.63 ERA as he became a third-time All-Star, while Williams had a 1.83 ERA in six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers before signing with the New York Yankees last year.
His 2025 season with the Yanks was an up-and-down affair, however. Williams ended up with a 4.79 ERA, but he claims that was due to several bad outings, and the underlying numbers and advanced metrics support his claim that he can still close at a high level.
That unevenness is a risk for the Mets, but Diaz basically played a bad hand. His initial demand was for another five-year deal for more than the $102 million he got last time around, and Stearns response was to go out and sign Williams, then say he was open to adding Diaz to finish off games.
What matters now is what Stearns will do with the money he just saved. The Mets have reportedly been getting interest in starter Kodai Senga, and the latest rumor has them possibly trading fellow starter David Peterson.