Devin Williams is switching locales. Sources indicate that Williams and the New York Mets have reached an agreement for a three-year agreement, according to reports from The Athletic. The contract is said to include $45 million in earnings in addition to a $6 million bonus upon signing and deferred payments, as reported by the New York Post. The team has not yet officially announced the transaction.
This agreement marks a reunion for Williams and David Stearns. When the Milwaukee Brewers appointed Stearns as their general manager in September of 2015, Williams was a minor league player with the team, and they were together in the organization until Stearns departed to lead the Mets two years prior. This connection likely influenced the signing.
Williams, who is 31 years of age, played with the Yankees, another team in the city, this past season, and had an inconsistent performance, pitching 62 innings with a 4.79 earned run average. After giving up 33 runs total from 2022-24, he allowed 37 runs in 2025. Nevertheless, Williams displayed moments of dominance, concluding the season with 90 strikeouts across those 62 innings. In the postseason, he was a reliable relief pitcher in high-leverage situations.
“Initially, it posed certain difficulties, but I have developed a fondness for my time here,” Williams stated following the Yankees’ elimination from the playoffs. “I hold this city in high regard. The daily commute to the stadium via train is something I appreciate.”
Williams was positioned as the 19th most valuable free agent in the offseason rankings, and was the second highest rated relief pitcher behind Edwin Díaz, who formerly closed games for the Mets. Here’s the analysis:
Given the contrast between his ERA and the fundamental statistics, “High-Lev Dev” has the potential for a substantial improvement. Out of all pitchers who appeared in a minimum of 30 games in 2025 without initiating any games, and who sustained a strikeout rate exceeding 30% alongside a walk rate under 10%, there were 21 individuals. Williams’ ERA of 4.79 was the least impressive among this group, which, on average, posted a 2.76 ERA, with the subsequent worst ERA being just above 4.00. Williams somehow accomplished that while simultaneously exhibiting the fourth-best hard-hit percentage, only trailing figures like Josh Hader and Abner Uribe. Such events sometimes occur in this sport, notably during individual seasons for relief pitchers. There is no solid justification to infer that Williams has already lost his ability.
It was further explained the reasons behind Williams’ high desirability in free agency and the likelihood of his comeback to his All-Star caliber, despite his underperforming season with the Yankees, emphasizing his potential rebound to his previous form.
The acquisition of Williams does not definitively exclude Díaz from returning to the Mets, albeit it renders it less probable. The bullpen for New York had difficulties for a substantial portion of the 2025 season, suggesting a potential strategy to unite Williams and Díaz rather than substituting Díaz with Williams. Regardless, Williams is anticipated to be the initial relief pitcher secured by the Mets during this offseason, but not the only one.
Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, both left-handed pitchers, stand out as the sole certainties for New York’s bullpen presently. Minter was sidelined for most of the previous season due to a lat injury that ended his season prematurely. Huascar Brazoban, a right-handed pitcher, is in contention for another bullpen position.
Due to the Yankees’ decision not to extend Williams a qualifying offer of $22.025 million, they will not be awarded a compensation draft pick as a result of his departure, and the Mets will not be required to relinquish draft picks to secure his contract.
