BREAKING: Mets sign Devin Williams to a three-year contract

The signing of Williams does not take them out of the running for Edwin Díaz

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In need of a massive makeover, the Mets took their first step towards rebuilding their bullpen on Monday night when they agreed to sign RHP Devin Williams to a three-year contract for $45 million with $5 million deferred and a $6 million bonus.

Year #1 in New York was largely a nightmare for Williams, 31, specifically early on as he seemed to blow every big save that came his way with the Yankees. Whether it was confidence issues, adjusting to a new league, or – as his FIP would indicate – just incredibly bad luck, things spiraled for Williams that eventually caused him to lose his closer’s role and force the Yankees to acquire multiple late-inning relievers at the deadline.

Williams did close out the year strong, however, as he didn’t allow a run in his final nine appearances of the regular season and pitched four scoreless innings in the postseason.

Overall, Williams pitched to a 4.79 ERA but with 90 strikeouts and 25 walks with only 45 hits allowed in 62 innings in 2025. Prior to being traded to the Yankees last winter, Williams served as the closer for the Brewers with an ERA of 1.83 over six seasons in Milwaukee. He had a 1.25 ERA in 2024 for Milwaukee, although he famously gave up a go-ahead, three-run home run to Pete Alonso in Game 3 of that year’s National League Wild Card Series, which propelled the Mets over the Brewers and into the Division Series against the Phillies.

Despite his struggles in 2025, Williams still displayed an elite change-up, was in the 95th percentile in expected batting average, 97th in chase rate, 99th in swing-and-miss rate, 97th in strikeout rate, and the 85th percentile in hard-hit rate.

The question now is, how does injecting Williams into the Mets bullpen at top-of-the-market reliever money impact their ability or willingness to sign Edwin Díaz back, who opted out of the remaining two years of his last contract with the Mets and became a free agent?

Last month, ESPN reported the Mets were considering a scenario of having both Williams and Díaz in the back of their bullpen, with one setting up the other, presumably Williams for Díaz in that scenario.

And according to SNY, the Mets are still in on Díaz’s free agency, a tantalizing prospect as the Mets look to seriously upgrade a pitching staff that floundered in the second half.

As such, Williams agreed to a contract with the Mets, presumably with a full understanding that he may in fact not be the closer for the Mets, but the Mets knew they couldn’t woo Williams to join their bullpen under these circumstances without giving him top closer money.

Devin Williams metrics - per Baseball Savant (StatCast)

Williams joins a bullpen currently consisting of AJ Minter and Brooks Raley, who have the only locks for the roster out of spring training. Huascar Brazoban, Alex Carrillo, Justin Hagenman, Jonathan Pintaro, Dylan Ross, Brandon Waddell, and Austin Warren are all on the 40-man roster as possible options for the bullpen as well.

The Athletic was the first to report that the Mets and Williams had come to terms, and ESPN and the New York Post first reported the figures.