Devin Williams Signs 3-Year, $50M Deal with Mets: How New All-Star Reliever Reshapes New York’s Bullpen in 2025-26

The New York Mets have made their boldest offseason move yet, landing two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams on a three-year contract that guarantees more than $50 million, according to multiple reports on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. The deal closes the book on Williams’ brief, turbulent tenure with the New York Yankees and instantly reshapes the late-inning calculus in Queens.

For the Mets, the signing is both a power play and a gamble. Williams, now 31, arrives with one of the most dominant résumés of any reliever in baseball, built largely during his six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. There, the right-hander carved out a staggering 1.83 ERA, pairing a high-octane fastball with a signature changeup that made him a perennial nightmare for hitters and earned him multiple All-Star nods and reliever-of-the-year honors.

But the version of Williams the Mets are buying is the one coming off a career-worst campaign in the Bronx. After being traded from Milwaukee to the Yankees last December, he posted a 4.79 ERA across 67 appearances in 2025, saving 18 games in 22 chances and ultimately sharing closing duties following a rough start. Even so, he steadied enough to log four scoreless postseason outings for the Yankees, a reminder of the dominance still lurking in his arm.

In Queens, the bigger question isn’t whether Williams can help, but how the Mets will use him. Reports indicate the front office is keeping the door open to re-signing closer Edwin Díaz, with Williams willing to pitch in a setup role if needed — a potentially devastating one-two punch at the back of the bullpen if both right-handers are healthy and right. That flexibility gives the Mets options as they sort out roles and leverage matchups in high-stakes late innings.

The ripple effects extend beyond New York. Williams had been linked in speculation to several contenders, including a possible reunion with manager Craig Counsell, now with the Chicago Cubs. With this deal, those dreams are officially off the table, and the Mets have signaled a willingness to outspend crosstown and division rivals alike for premium pitching.

For Honyve readers, the bottom line is clear: after a rocky year in pinstripes, Devin Williams just turned the Mets’ bullpen into one of the most intriguing storylines of the 2025–26 offseason — and perhaps one of the biggest swing factors in next year’s National League race.