Some seasons expose a team’s flaws so clearly that the front office has no choice but to respond with something bigger than a patch. For the New York Mets, 2025 was exactly that kind of year, particularly when it came to the bullpen. Relief pitching became a nightly concern, the sort that forces a contender to rethink its entire structure. Now the Mets seem determined not to repeat the same mistakes, and the early buzz around their offseason plans hints at something unusually aggressive.
The Mets didn’t sit still at the trade deadline. They tried to reinforce a shaky relief corps by bringing in Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley, and Tyler Rogers. Those names looked impressive on paper, but not everything clicked. A couple of those moves fizzled outright, and with all those midseason additions headed to free agency, the Mets find themselves needing impact arms all over again.
And then there’s Edwin Diaz. His situation complicates everything, even though his performance didn’t. Diaz was sensational in 2025, carving out a 1.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts and looking every bit like the old version of himself. But after opting out of his contract, he is now entering free agency at the peak of his value. Losing him would hurt. Losing him and failing to adequately replace him would be another disaster.
A New Target With Familiar Dominance
So on Tuesday, the Mets were linked to someone who knows a thing or two about dominance in the late innings: Devin Williams. The former Brewers and Yankees star owns one of baseball’s most unique and unhittable pitches, the Airbender, a baffling changeup that still makes hitters look foolish when it’s right.
Williams wasn’t himself in the Bronx this year, posting a 4.79 ERA, but his track record offers plenty of reassurance. He’s been one of the league’s most deceptive, consistent, and suffocating relievers for years. One ugly season doesn’t erase the fact that he’s often been nearly untouchable. The Mets see the upside, and they’re not wrong to believe he’s primed for a rebound if placed in a more stable situation.
The interesting twist is that many fans assumed Williams was being considered as a hedge against Diaz leaving. A one-or-the-other scenario. But what if it’s not one or the other?
A Blockbuster Idea: Why Not Both?
According to Jeff Passan, the Mets are actually exploring the idea of signing both Diaz and Williams. It’s the sort of rumor that makes you sit up straight because it doesn’t feel like typical winter noise. It feels ambitious. It feels like something a frustrated contender might entertain after watching its bullpen cave in too many times.
Per Passan, the Mets are “mulling the opportunity” to pair the two high-octane right-handers at the top of a fully rebuilt bullpen, a thought that immediately changes the energy around their offseason. It’s rare to see a team attempt a double swoop on two elite relievers in their prime. It’s even rarer when one of them is already a franchise icon who just opted out.
There’s logic behind the dream, too. Diaz is already the best version of himself again. Williams still has the stuff to dominate and a long track record that suggests his Yankees season was an outlier. Put them together, and suddenly the Mets aren’t just solving a problem; they’re flipping a weakness into a possible strength.
Can the Mets Make the Splash They Need?
This is a team that needs to get the bullpen right. Not just for optics, but for real competitive survival. The Mets don’t want to keep chasing down late deficits, and they’re tired of watching games slip away in the seventh and eighth innings. Signing both Diaz and Williams would be a statement that they understand the urgency.
It’s expensive. It’s risky. It’s also the kind of move that instantly elevates the Mets in a division where the tiniest margins often decide everything. And after a season like the one they just lived through, isn’t this exactly the kind of boldness they need?
We’ll soon find out if they’re really willing to pull off this double coup, but if they do, the entire league will feel the shift.
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