Although he is coming off a rocky season with the New York Yankees, reliever Devin Williams reportedly landed a big free-agent deal across town.
The 31-year-old right-hander agreed with the New York Mets on a three-year, $51 million contract, according to multiple media reports on Monday. Per the reports, Williams will get an annual base salary of $15 million, and a $6 million signing bonus will be split across the length of the pact.
Williams’ arrival might mean the end of Edwin Diaz’s tenure as the Mets’ closer. Diaz, also a 31-year-old free agent right-hander, was an All-Star last season with 28 saves, and he logged 144 saves across his six seasons with the Mets.
Williams began the 2025 campaign as the Yankees’ closer, but he was removed from the ninth-inning role in late April and again for good in early August. He finished the season with 18 saves in 22 chances, a 4-6 record and a career-worst 4.79 ERA in 67 appearances. However, he was effective in the postseason, going 1-0 with a 0.00 in four appearances (four innings) in the American League wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox and the AL Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
That was his lone season in the Bronx after he was traded by the Brewers. Williams spent six seasons in Milwaukee, winning National League Rookie of the Year in 2020. After flourishing as a setup man early in his career, Williams graduated to the closer role and made the NL All-Star team in 2022 and ’23.
In 308 career appearances, Williams has 86 saves in 100 chances to go with a 31-16 record and a 2.45 ERA. He has 465 strikeouts and 137 walks in 297 2/3 innings.
