The Mets made a strong addition to their bullpen this week, signing righty Devin Williams to a three-year deal.
Williams comes to Queens after spending last season on the other side of town with the Yankees.
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The 31-year-old had a bit of an up-and-down start to his time in the Bronx, but was able to find his footing and showed flashes of his dominant form over his last few outings of the regular season and playoffs.
He’ll now look to carry that production over to his first season in orange and blue.
Williams met with the media over Zoom on Friday afternoon to discuss joining the Mets, potentially teaming up with Edwin Diaz on the backend of the bullpen, and some new additions to his arsenal…
Why the Mets were a good fit…
Williams feels comfortable in New York after his one-year stint with the Yanks.
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He is familiar with David Stearns and his process from their time together in Milwaukee, but there was one big factor that ultimately came into him picking the Mets in free agency.
“They’re a team that wants to win,” the two-time NL Reliever of the Year winner said. “Steve [Cohen] is doing all that he can to put a winning product out on the field and I’d love to be a part of that.”
On potentially teaming up with Diaz…
Williams said every team he spoke to before signing offered him the closer’s role.
He’s currently penciled into that spot for the Mets, but things, of course, could change over the next few weeks with the team still showing interest in signing Diaz back off the open market.
Sep 25, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) gestures after getting the final out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-Imagn Images
The long-time closer seems comfortable with the situation either way.
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“I think it’s just a good situation,” Williams said. “If he comes back, then I think we’re going to have a really good backend of the bullpen — more good arms is always a good thing.”
New additions to the arsenal…
Williams has essentially been a two-pitch pitcher his entire career (fastball, changeup).
But this offseason, he’s continued tinkering with his cutter, which he threw just twice all of last year, and he’s planning on leaning on the pitch a bit more this season.
The righty has also continued working on adding a gyro slider to the mix for next year.
It’s something he’s been developing for years, though he hasn’t put it into play yet.
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“I’m just playing with those two,” Williams said. “Just seeing if I can add those two to what I do, and just give myself a little more breathing room with the fastball and changeup.”
The two-time All-Star is also eager to see how new pitching coach Justin Willard and the Mets’ highly-regarded pitching lab can help him continue to improve his game.
“They have a track record of helping guys improve on things they already do, or maybe adding in things,” he said. “So I think that they’ll be able to help me, and I’m really curious to see what they have for me.”
