The New York Mets and reliever Devin Williams have agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal, league sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Monday night, confirming a report, giving the club a replacement for Edwin Diaz should the All-Star closer sign elsewhere.
The contract is a straight three-year pact without any opt-outs or options. It includes a $6 million signing bonus spread over the three seasons.
Williams will bolster the back end of a bullpen that the Mets are determined to substantially improve this winter. The question is whether it'll be as a setup man or in the ninth inning.
Williams' role ultimately depends on if the Mets re-sign Diaz, who opted out of his contract last month and is considered the top reliever on the free-agent market this offseason. Though a hefty sum for a setup man, the right-hander's addition does not erase the possibility of a reunion with Diaz and the Mets remain interested in bringing him back, sources told Passan.
Williams, 31, hit free agency after a rough debut season for the New York Yankees. Acquired last December from the Milwaukee Brewers for pitcher Nestor Cortes and National League Rookie of the Year finalist Caleb Durbin, Williams struggled to a career-worst 4.79 ERA over 67 appearances for New York. But underlying metrics -- including a 2.68 FIP, a .195 expected batting average against, and elite strikeout, whiff and chase rates -- suggest the bloated ERA is misleading.
He saved 18 games in 22 chances for the Yankees but, after entering the season as the designated closer, he shared the role for most of the season after getting off to a rough start. Williams recorded four scoreless outings during the Yankees' postseason run, but David Bednar earned both of New York's playoff saves.
Before joining the Yankees, Williams established himself as a premier back-of-the-bullpen pitcher during his six seasons with Milwaukee, first as a set-up reliever for star closer Josh Hader and then as Hader's replacement in the role.
After winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2020 -- when he posted a 0.33 ERA over 22 outings -- Williams went on to make two NL All-Star squads. Over the three seasons before moving to the Yankees, Williams went 15-7 with 65 saves and a miniscule 1.66 ERA.
Williams has been an unorthodox closer in terms of style. Despite a fastball velocity below the big league average, he flourished on the strength of one of the game's best change-ups, an offering so distinct that it acquired a nickname -- "The Airbender."
Now, Williams will take the pitch to Queens where he will reunite with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who was in that role for the Brewers for Williams' first four seasons in Milwaukee.
News of Williams' agreement was first reported by The Athletic.
ESPN MLB Writer Bradford Doolittle contributed to this report.