BREAKING NEWS: Mets agree to deal with Devin Williams

BREAKING NEWS: Mets agree to deal with Devin Williams

in Mets history is now a Met. Hello and welcome inside the SNY studios for live coverage of breaking news. I’m Aiman Mcinany alongside Anthony McCarron and SNY MLB insider Andy Martino confirms reports that reliever Devin Williams has agreed to a three-year deal to join the New York Mets. It’s worth reportedly $45 million with a $6 million bonus. So north of $50 million total uh for the reliever. and Anthony. Obviously, Williams has been elite with Milwaukee, shaky with the Yankees. We’ll get to the impact on Edwin Diaz in a moment, but what are the Mets getting in Devin Williams? Well, first off, Aean, he is a supremely talented pitcher whose change up is one of the best single pitches in baseball. We all know the great nickname, the air bender. Uh it’s a pitch that comes in about 86 and a half miles per hour. It’s a nice compliment to his 95 mph fast ball. So, he’s got a lot of weapons. He gets chase. He gets swing and miss. Uh so there’s a lot of good stuff here. Now, if you paid attention to the Yankees last year, Aean, you know that Williams had some shaky moments in the Bronx, right? Uh his erra as a whole was pretty bad for a relief pitcher. I know that gets skewed if you come in and give up a little uh bit, but still it was not a shutdown amazing magic year for Devin Williams in New York. So, it’s fair to sort of ask the question, was the location part of the issue? And what you know he he started off I I wrote this down him and he had an 11.57 erra in his first nine games as a Yankee and they don’t take that very well in the Bronx. The fans were angry and he was their big shiny new relief pitcher. Uh you know so there were some question marks about him. Could he handle the pressure? Uh could he handle the city, the outlook? You know the fact in Milwaukee they don’t boo when you get clobbered on in April on your first outing or or one of your early outings. In New York they’re like whoa strike. Well, you know, ball one, what are you doing? So, there is a little bit element of that. And I wonder if there is if he’s going to have to prove that in Queens as well because look, the Mets had a disappointing season. Aean, they’re looking to be better. Their fans want them to be better and this is a step in the right direction because he’s a very, very talented pitcher. But, uh, you know, there are it’s fair to ask a question here. All right, Anthony, we’ll have more from you throughout the coverage here, but now let’s bring in former Mets general manager Jim Jim Duket, current SNY Mets analyst. And Jim, obviously, this is a reunion. David Sterns was with Devin Williams when he was excellent in Milwaukee. You’ve been through negotiations. What kind of role do you think that relationship had in Devin Williams signing with the Mets? Oh, I think it had a huge role in you really when you look at it. Um, you know, you’re trying to replace one of the great closers in the sport and Edwin Diaz and a guy who as Anthony had mentioned had struggled there in his first goal round in New York with the Yankees in Williams. And so part of this is selling him on, hey, things are different over here on this side of New York. Um, you obviously have a familiarity with me and what we’re trying to do here. There’s a trust factor there and Devin Williams wants to go to a winner. He’s been on a winner, you know, in his whole entire career. So I think that was a part of it. Obviously, um, you know, the struggles were real last year for sure. But I think that understanding and knowing Dave David Sterns and what David Sterns has done in the past, that trust factor is huge when it comes to signing free agents and clearly uh Sterns used it to his advantage to convince Williams to come to Queens. Yeah, things are different in Queens than in the Bronx. Just do us a favor, don’t call Ryan Hley. Just take our word for it. But uh Jim, you mentioned obviously here the big question is Edwin Diaz. How do you think those conversations were with Sterns and uh Williams when you’re still really not sure what his role is going to be? Could be a closer for one of the could be setup role or could be obviously the closer. Yeah, I think that’s one of those where, you know, we don’t know yet if this knocks them out of the Diaz thing. You know, you can make an assumption that it that it would, but not necessarily, right? So, I think with Williams because he’s done both and I think, you know, to his credit, he, you know, he pitched okay, you know, once they moved him out of the closer role there with the Yankees, he he got himself back to a situation where he was pitching well again. You know, I think that from that perspective, you know, he’s his willingness to maybe do both, I think, stands out. I think when you look at closers in in general these days for the most part when they’re put in high leverage situations whether it’s the eighth or the ninth there it’s a little bit more familiar for guys that are able to pitch in whatever circumstance the manager is going to ask him to do. So you know we’ll see we’ll wait and see if this knocks them out completely with Diaz. But you know Williams has the ability to pitch in the eighth inning and the ninth inning which I think is a plus for him. Jim is a former GM and negotiator and our guy on Baseball Night New York who constructs all the deals. What stands out to you about the financials here? Three years eventually north of $50 million for Devin Williams. I mean, it it’s an expensive dollar amount. No question about it. I mean, Helley, as you mentioned earlier, just signed a two-year deal uh with an opt out for with the Orioles at 28 million for two years, 14 million per year. So, you know, this is above that. And really, if you look at it, you know, with with Williams’ struggles there last year, I mean, if he had had another good season like he had in prior years in Milwaukee, he’s probably asking and getting a four-year deal or a five-year deal. So, you know, this is, I think, in line with what the top closers get. It’s probably a year less uh because of the fact that he had his struggles there last year, but it’s still a significant amount of pay of dollars when you start to look at the the, you know, the dollar amount and what closers are getting paid these days. So, you know, I think from the st that standpoint of of a dollar amount and what uh the Mets were paying him, it’s within range of what some of the elite uh pitchers in particular, the the high leverage relievers are getting these days. So, along those lines, as these dominoes start to fall, what do you think this how does this deal impact Edwin Diaz, not just with the Mets, but with other teams across Major League Baseball? Well, I listen, there’s a lot of interest in Edwin Diaz, and I think that’s a part of this equation. uh signing Devin Williams. When you start to hear teams like the Yankees and the Toronto uh I’m sorry, the the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays in and interested in in Edwin Diaz, you’re getting into bidding wars with teams that are willing to spend a lot of money. And the Mets have spent a lot of money, don’t get me wrong, but I think they were drawing a line with Diaz here and not wanting to go to five years. I think Diaz minimum gets four years and probably gets five years whether it’s with the Mets or somewhere else. And so, you know, I think that aspect kind of stands out to me. You know, overall when you look at it from the sports side of things and also if you look at it, you know, when you’re starting to sign guys here ahead of the winter meetings, you know, you’re starting to see a bunch of guys come off the board here early and generally when you’re signing guys, you know, like a Devin Williams, you have to pay, you know, a little bit more to get them. You know, I think that’s where the relationship with Sterns comes in because I’m sure there are other teams offering him three years. Um, but you know, Sterns was able to convince him to go to Queen. So, I think there’s a lot that’s wrapped into this signing and what it pretends pretends to to uh affect Diaz in his number. I think Diaz, while I was a little uncertain if he would get five years, I think it’s looking more and more likely because of the level of interest that he might get five years. Wow. Certainly lots of moving parts and some high-powered teams out there going after the pursuit of Edwin Diaz. Jim Duket, thanks for joining us here on our coverage of breaking news of Devin Williams agreeing to a three-year contract with the Mets. And Anthony, I want to bring you in on what something what Jim just said because funny enough, we were having this conversation in the newsroom about an hour and a half ago before any of this happened. But when you hear drawing a line in the sand, and we’re not taking him literal, it’s just a phrase at five years for Edwin Diaz. What do you think about that with the Mets drawing a line in the sand with one of the best closers in baseball? Uh, yeah. I I don’t it’s not my money, Aean. Uh but I I think that this if you’re a Met fan right now, you’re looking at the Devin Williams signing, you’re saying, “Gee, I hope that’s not a hedge against Diaz being elsewhere.” I hope that is the prelude to a Super Bullpen, which would be great. Look, I mean, the Mets, you know, have a lot to uh to go forward from from last year. uh their 83 and 79 record. A lot of disappointment Aean and and ret retaining Edwin Diaz and creating that incredible one-two punch at the back of end of the bullpen which is uh to me is always a recipe for for moving forward contending for the playoffs, having success in the playoffs. Uh you know, it’s hard to not think about that. And I don’t really care what year five looks like with Edwin Diaz because if you’re talking about winning a World Series, you need to get after it right now. And if you suffer on the back end of the contract, a lot of these free agent contracts you the teams suffer on the back end of. You got to pick your battle here. And but I think retaining Diaz is a great start. Would be a great way to to to go forward here because look, I mean Devin Williams is a terrific relief pitcher. No question about him. Edwin Diaz is a terrific relief pitcher, too. The Mets tried to do this at the trade deadline. It didn’t work then. I I got to think it works now with these two high-end guys. Not only is Edwin Diaz an elite closer, we know he can handle New York. That question still remains up in the air, I think, with Devin Williams. If you’re just joining us again, reminder that Devin Williams has signed a three-year deal, according to reports that Andy Martino has confirmed to join the Mets. It’s a three-year deal worth north of $50 million. We are now joined by Steve Gelbs. And uh Steve, let’s just go with your immediate reaction when you heard the news that Williams was signing with the Mets. Yeah, you know, this is a tough one, Aean, to to react in real time to because it all depends on what happens next. I’m not surprised that the Mets went out and signed Devin Williams. I think that, you know, there was always a question once Edwin Diaz opted out of his contract and hit free agency uh about the the future with the Mets. And you know, David Sterns doesn’t love giving out long-term contracts to relief pitchers. And if Edwin Diaz is going to get four or five years, again, there was always a question whether or not David Sterns was going to sign up for that type of length on a relief pitcher no matter how good he is. So for me, if the decision is, as Anthony was just talking about, hey, we’re going to sign Devin Williams here and then we’re going to go get Edwin Diaz back and we’re going to have Devin Williams and Edwin Diaz at the back end of that pen. Then this is an amazing signing. I mean, this is a a a fantastic um look at at what could come next, but and this is more the way that I lean. If this means that Edwin Diaz signs elsewhere and Devin Williams is the replacement for Edwin Diaz, then, you know, I don’t love it. I I think that Edwin Diaz uh was a priority signing that that had to happen this offseason. That was my own personal opinion. And Devin Williams certainly an unbelievable career so far. Terrific closer. Could step into that role and be what he had been throughout most of his career. But last year, as you guys had mentioned, uh he did struggle. He did have his ups and downs in his first year in New York. And there was always that question about whether or not players can handle New York. And so right now with Devin Williams, it is an open question. With Edwin Diaz, it is not. So, if Williams is the replacement for Diaz, I feel very differently than if Williams is the setup man for Diaz. Uh, Steve, we’re all speculating here obviously because we don’t know what’s going to happen with Edwin Diaz, but we heard Jim Duket say the Mets kind of, you know, metaphorically have drawn a line in the sand about not going to five years. You mentioned that. Why do you think they don’t view Edwin Diaz as that exception that if the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Dodgers are coming after our closer that maybe we have to bite the bullet on a fifth year? Yeah. You know, Aean, I don’t know the answer to that. I think it’s a philosophy. I think when you look, listen, when when you take a step back and and this isn’t just David Sterns, when you look across the league, um most executives would tell you that a long-term deal for something as volatile as a relief pitcher is not a wise investment. Um you know, you see it from year to year. You see it from half to half. You mentioned this as well, Aman. They tried to do this last year or you or Anthony, I can’t remember which one mentioned they tried to do this last year at the deadline. The deadline deals looked great and then all of a sudden Ryan Hley imploded. Uh so relief pitchers from month to month, year to year, like I said, are very volatile. So giving a relief pitcher by nature a long-term deal, a five-year deal is risky. But when you’re in the position that the Mets are in right now, a win now team, the type of investments that they are making in the unit, uh I just think that with a guy as unique as Edwin Diaz who has proven to be that guy in this city for this team, you know, and again, it’s just me, but I would go that extra step to to grab him. and the Mets may, you know, it’s not definitely over right now, but again, just, you know, reading the tea leaves and and looking at the history, I would be somewhat surprised if they went and uh and got Edwin Diaz back and and gave him the five years. This feels to me like Devin Williams is more the replacement, but again, that’s just total speculation. Yeah, and no doubt, to your point, relief pitchers are extremely fickle. Uh we’ve seen that with both the Yankees and Mets in this town. We just heard Jim Duket say it’s a little odd that a deal like this kind of went down before the winter meetings. Obviously, you’ve covered the winter meetings for years. Do you think this sort of will accelerate the free agent market around baseball or is this a one-off? You know, I don’t know, Aean, it’s it’s so different every year. I think probably the relief market will will start to thaw a little bit. And again, if if the Mets have decided to draw that line in the sand with Edwin Diaz and this takes him out of play for the Mets, then I would assume that there’s a pretty good chance that Edwin Diaz signs relatively soon in the next week or two. Um, and once Diaz is off the board, now that Williams is off the board, you know, those high-end guys when they start to go, usually the dominoes start to fall pretty quickly. So, uh, not sure it changes every single year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the relief market at least started to to thaw. We certainly expected this would be one of the most dramatic storylines for the Mets this off seasonason. Edwin Diaz just added a little bit more drama. Steve Gelbs, as always, thanks for hopping on here for our coverage of breaking news. All right, so Anthony, Steve’s reading the tea leaves one way. How are you reading the tea leaves right now? And again, we’re obviously just totally speculating here, but it is this a hedge or is this a part of a Super Bowl pin? Yeah, I I’d love to say it’s a Super Bowl a Super Bowl pen uh in the offing here, Aean. That that is truly what I would like to watch next season in Queens as well. I I lean toward where Steve was thinking though. You know, I mean, that’s a that’s a big number for a setup guy. um you know, if Williams were were to be that uh you know, maybe they could he’d be the alternate closer on the nights that Diaz can’t go or whatever if they want to hold him back. Uh but you know, so look, I don’t know. But let me let me follow up on that. Sorry for interrupting, but we were talking earlier about handling New York. If Devin Williams is coming to Queens as the replacement for Edwin Diaz, how much more pressure does that, you know, all of a sudden he’s back at where he was with the Yankees on day one, right? and and it it comes in with a fan base that has really high expectations for next year as well as ownership and the front office and the players themselves. Aean, I mean, look, I I can’t underscore this enough. We we’ve spent we spent the whole season talking about it. Last year was not good for the Mets, and they really need to get going here and move forward. And so, look, signing a guy like this is a great step, you know, but if if if you are only replacing your closer and that is the move in the bullpen and then you’re moving some other guys who are volatile to begin with, as Steve was was mentioning, I mean, relief pitchers, you never know what you’re going to get with them. That’s why Diaz, he’s had his hiccups in the past, but he has also proven that when he is elite, he is hyper elite. Uh, and clearly one of the two or three best relief pitchers in baseball. So, if you’re going to if you’re just going to replace him and then fill in with other guys, I I don’t see how you’re making your bullpen, which was a real I mean, drama factor last year, Aean, for the Mets, uh, you know, in part because of the connection with the with the starting rotation, which didn’t provide a lot of innings, yada yada, we could go down memory lane, but I I just I I I hope that they are now talking to Diaz. No, no, this is not about replacement. This is about enhancement and and going from there. Uh, you know, I wish I could convince myself that that’s 100% what it is. It’s not 100%. You’re not buying your own story. It’s Nick. And you know, it’s kind of amazing how full circle things come. As one of our producers, Steve Cooch, in the newsroom when this news broke said, “The Met fans thought the Mets broke Devin Williams when Petono took him deep. Now they better hope that they didn’t break him at all and that he can handle New York.” But uh really is as we continue to have these conversations and talk to Steve and Jim uh reading the tea leaves here and what’s next is now very fascinating and you heard Steve say these winter meetings these offseasons are always different. You’ve covered a million of these. How quickly do you now think the Edwin Diaz market will move? Well, I mean he’s still the premier guy out there and the next the next tier now that Williams is gone is Robert Suarez who was closing for the Padres’s. Uh, you know, so those are the two guys who are the lynch pins of the entire relief market, but they’re at the highest end here. Uh, you know, did this set the market for Diaz? I think he has an idea already what he wants. I mean, he got a record contract from the Mets the first time around when he resigned with them. Uh, and I don’t think he opted out of the final two years of his deal to to not approach that number again. Is he going to get five years? Well, maybe the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be willing to give him five years or the Dodgers or somebody else. I I mean, you know, it’s catnip to contenders when big-time relievers are on the market still. And Edwin Diaz is the biggest of the big market relievers. If you were the Blue Jays front office and ownership group right now, Aean, would you you would put on a tape of the World Series and you would watch game seven and you would say, “If Edwin Diaz were our closer, we would have won the World Series.” No doubt. Now, not that Jeff Hoffman didn’t do a good job for them throughout the playoffs because he pitched very well. But he obviously had a key moment there where he gave up the home run in game seven and it didn’t work out for them in the end. The Dodgers won. But Edwin Diaz strengthens an already incredibly strong team that’s already added other pitching this year. So, there’s plenty of market out there for Diaz. uh you know, so if the Mets do want want to be in, I don’t think that this deal and the their ability to say, “Well, we have our we have a potential closer would make it any less for for them to pay for Diaz to come back.” No doubt about that. Years and years and money. And then if word gets around that the Blue Jays are willing to do that, then the Yankees in their division and the Dodgers who played him in the World Series would have to think about going after it as well. It is time now to bring in Salacotta. And S, I’ve already stolen your line that relievers are fickle five times tonight. So feel free to repeat it, but uh let’s get your reaction to the news that Devin Williams is coming to the Mets. You know, on that topic, Aman of Relievers being fickle. Think about it this way. If this were a year ago and Devin Williams hit the open market, he would be in high demand. He would get a lot of money. So I feel like there’s a little bit of, you know, steam off of his flower. I don’t know the proper expression, but you get the point. Williams is not looked at the same way that he was prior to his one year with the Yankees. However, I would think that he’s more valuable because I love guys who go through adversity and come out the other end of it successfully. That is what Devin Williams did in year one. It is not easy to have your role taken away from you and then respond and rebound to a point where he was very successful. So, you’re talking about one of the premier relievers in baseball before he pitched with the Yankees and then trying to figure out his first year in New York. The Mets kind of use that as a learning ground and now they take the they take Deon Williams for three years. Now, obviously, you wanted an addition to to Devon to Edwin Diaz, but Devin Williams at the very least some insurance and a guy who certainly can close whether it be here or anywhere else. Sal, I want to know what you’re getting paid if you don’t think $15 million a year for the next three years isn’t a lot of big money, but obviously he’s getting paid well. We know that. But let’s You led me to the $64,000 question or a lot more than that. But what are you reading into this as far as the Mets and Edwin Diaz? Yeah, I mean, I saw Andy’s report about the Mets are still going to be in on Edwin Diaz. I can’t imagine this is going to be in place of Edwin Diaz. But even if it is, that’s a good worst case scenario to still have Devin Williams, one of the best closers in the game at a good value. A aim, the 15 million a year, yeah, that may be a good cost, but three years is not a lot when you consider you’re going to have to give Diaz potentially five years, $100 million. But I think ultimately the idea would be to pair those two guys and now you have a loaded bullpen with insurance throughout the course of a long season. injuries, tiredness, whatever it may be. That would be the ultimate goal to build a super pen with Devin Williams in the eighth inning. Edwin Diaz in the ninth. S, you know the fans, you know the media in this town. Do you think this signing lessens the pressure on David Sterns to go to that fifth year for Edwin Diaz? No, I don’t. I think I I think a lot of fans are going to look at this separately. Okay, that’s great. You got Williams, but we saw him. He wasn’t great with the Yankees. We need our guy, Edwin Diaz. And I understand that thought process. All that I’m saying is it’s nice insurance that if Edwin Diaz commands more money Ben Sterns and Cohen are willing to go to at least the Mets have themselves a guy who has been a proven closer and a guy who can handle adversity in New York. Not ideal. I want Edwin Diaz back. But this was a nice first signing to at least add some insurance in the event they don’t feel comfortable going to where Diaz might have to go. All right, Anthony and I were just talking about that market for Edwin Diaz. The Dodgers and Blue Jays could get involved. Who knows about the Yankees, but how do you uh do you honestly or I guess I’m just asking you for a prediction here. The Mets sticking to their guns on not wanting to go to a 50-year or do you think they might cave to the fact that they need Edwin Diaz? I don’t think they’re going to cave and and I’m torn on this one because I understand how important Edwin Diaz is and I want him back. But to start where we or to finish where we started, Aean, bullpens are fickle. Are you telling me that it’s a sound investment to invest and I don’t care who the closer is for 5 years, $100 million? They already gave him that contract two years ago. I’m fine with three more years. And ultimately, if they pay the money, I’m fine with that, too. But it’s hard to argue to sign a reliever after you already got two good years from him out of the, you know, the first three that he signed a year for, hard to justify giving him another hundred million on top of that and expecting all five of those years to be highly productive. No doubt about that. It’s probably not a wise investment, but Sal, you know better than anyone. This is a franchise that hasn’t won the World Series since 1986 and ownership that said World Series in the first three to five years. If you let Edwin Diaz walk, especially to the Dodgers or Blue Jays, that damages your chances to win a World Series in the next two or three years and you have an owner and a franchise that can take the hit on a bad deal years four or five. Yeah, Aean, that you’re right, the Dodger move and that’s who everybody’s chasing, right? The Mets have Steve Cohen. I mean, we know how much money he has, so they need to go all in. So, that’s the thought process that that’s why I say I’m I’m kind of torn because logically, practically, it’s not a good investment. However, you want to compete with the Dodgers or the Yankees or those top tier teams and you have the finances and resources to do it and a guy that’s proven, you know, this is not just throwing money hoping that it’s going to stick. Edwin Diaz has been a proven commodity. So, why care about year four or five when you expect that year one and two of this new 5-year deal would work? So, I understand that aspect of it as well. And obviously, we’ll wait and see how this all shakes out in regards to Edwin Diaz. Salakata, thanks for joining us. And uh Anthony, how wary would you be of going five years for Edwin Diaz? We talked about the World Series thing and going for it all, but a reliever that’s not young years three, four, and five. You know, Aean, the front offices across baseball have taught us all to care about contract length and the dollars and what it might look like in the year 2032. Uh, I can’t get there. Like, I still care about what happens in the year 2026. And as you just pointed out, Edwin Diaz being on that roster makes the Mets much more of a threat to be World Series champions next year, which is presumably their goal since they have won twice in their entire history. And so like look, I you know I know it looks bad at the end and you know you think of some of the big pitching contracts in in history like everybody wants the pitching contract to be the Max Scherzer with the Nationals which was a phenomenal maybe the best contract in baseball history. He was so great and it was so it was so worth it for the Nationals. They won the World Series all that sort of stuff you know but you’re not going to get that every time and you’re going to have to suffer on the back end. You know it’s okay. We don’t have to GM everything to death here. You know like win win win the World Series. get in the playoffs, do damage in the playoffs, and Elite Relief gets damage done. I like that. We don’t have to GM everything to death. Again, if you are just joining us, the Mets have reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with relief pitcher Devin Williams, SNY MLB Andy Martino, confirming reports that it is indeed a done deal. We want to bring in SNY Mets analyst Todd Zal now. And Todd, uh, let’s just get your immediate reaction to the news that Devin Williams is now a Met. Um, hey Aman, how are you? Uh, I I think it’s good news. I mean, I think at the end of the day, um, this Mets team needs as much pitching as they can get. I think they’re, um, certainly need to have high-end bullpen help. When I heard, uh, Devin Williams name being discussed a couple of weeks ago, I thought it might mean um, Edwin or Devin Williams and not potentially both. I like the idea of Edwin still being in the mix, but um Devin has proven that he can handle New York. Rough start, but I thought came on very well. Used his fast ball more effectively. He’s also pitched very effectively in a setup role in his past uh life, you know, with Josh her um closing in Milwaukee. So, um I think he’s a good fit. Like I said, I think at three years, it’s not um it’s not a a big stretch and uh this team needs bullpen help. No doubt about that. When you take a look at the financials, you mentioned the three years uh ultimately north of $50 million. How do you think how far how do you think that will impact how far the Mets go with Edwin Diaz? Um I I think these guys are still two very separate pitchers and I think um Edwin with a great year last year. Devin. We probably got to to Devin. The Mets probably got to Devin um after a little bit of a down year maybe u buying on the lower side uh as he was one of the most soughtafter guys um last year coming out of Milwaukee. So um I think they did well with just the three-year deal there. I think Edwin’s still going to be in the hundred range. I think he’s gonna want the five or six years. Um, I think the Mets could be in a position to still make that happen. And I don’t necessarily really feel like there’s a lot of deterrent to make that happen. Um, look, he’s shown that he is still um one of the top guys in the game. Came back from injury. Um, was very effective last year and one of the most guys most reliable guys um across baseball coming in in that ninth inning. So, um, look, they’re trying for run prevention. Uh, we’ve heard David Stures talk about it, um, a lot this off season, and having those two guys at the back of your bullpen, uh, is a big step in helping shorten the baseball game and create run prevention. So, I think he still fits in the plan. Right now, let’s just lean on your baseball expertise. We all know about the air bender. Why does that help make Devin Williams elite and so hard to hit? Well, because he’s a guy that touches 98, 99 and could even uh touch a 100. So, the fast ball you’ve got to be aware of. And most guys that have that big fast ball have something uh a slider, curve ball, something rotating away from the right-hander. Um that is their complimentary pitch. Devin Williams with this air bender is almost like a screw ball. that comes out of his hand looking like the fast ball and it is something that just disappears. You don’t see a lot of pitches like it in the big leagues. I think personally that he ended up not relying on his fast ball enough and that air bender was so difficult to hit when he was really introducing it and kind of uh cutting his teeth that it’s became something that he leaned on too much. I thought last year um you know guys started uh staying off the fast ball looking for that air bender got to him earlier in the season then he made some adjustments and utilized that fast ball effectively now the air bender became an effective second pitch again instead of something he leaned on too much Mets analyst Todd Zal Todd it looks like we rushed you off the 18th green to join us here but we really appreciate you taking the time and adding your insight we did it dark here now so I got off the green a couple hours ago but thank you I appreciate All right, Todd, thanks a lot for joining us. Uh Devin Williams on his way to Queen. So many dominoes to follow for what we knew was going to be a dramatic off season. And Anthony, at least things are starting early. Brandon NMO traded and now December 1st, Devin Williams signed. So this different than a few years past, we’re going to hurry up and wait for a few other guys. But what’s your read on what the Mets have done so far? You know, look, I I I like it. Uh I like I I like the idea of shaking up the core a little bit. You know, Brandon NMO was a terrific Met. Uh it would have been a a great story if he were a lifelong Met. Uh but they really do they really are leaning into the run prevention part and Marcus Simeon really helps out at second base there. There may be still a little bit left in the bat. I know the last two seasons haven’t been great for him, but that’s a that to me that is an upgrade on that position defensively and that was sort of ba the baseline that David Sterns wanted to get to. And so you you that was like if you weren’t thinking that he was going hard to run prevention like wake up because that move really showed it. Now they’re they’ve opened up the corner outfield spot for a better defender there as well. We’ll see what happens with that. Look, this could really they have they have some roster clog to me, Aean, that they need to move through some of the young players who play middle and field, third base, that sort of thing. H they’ve got so many of them. What happens to them? How do they use them to either be on the roster or improve the roster? Uh where do the prospects fit in? I thought it it sang pretty loud when David Sterns was talking at the GM meetings. I think it was about Carson Benj maybe having a chance to break camp with the team uh if he’s ready. Uh some of the other guys when you have elite prospects, you have to find places for them to play. So I I think he’s giving us some signals there. Aean, I don’t know. I’m not saying that they’re not going to sign any more sexy names in the free agent market or anything like that, but like he he’s aware that they’ve got some young talent and I mean that ought to make the prospect huggers really happy that that you know that he’s in into those guys too. you know, where does Jet Williams fit in on this roster now that Marcus Semian is here? Could he move to a different position? All of this stuff is going to play out. They have so many starting pitchers, but they so desperately need an a proper ace. Uh where do they get one of those and how do they get it? Uh so there is so much more to come this off seasonason, Aean and this is it could be one of the great most incredible Met off seasons of all time. We’re coming off of one last year where they gave Juan Sto this eyepopping contract and now we’re we’re back at the next year and it could be pretty darn amazing as well. And it saved you 30 minutes of watching the Giants right there. Our we covered this uh stop. You don’t have to GM everything and prospect huggers. Anthony McCarron is ready to go. Save some for sports night cuz Anthony and I are going to be joined by John Dashreky and a cast of thousands. For more on Devin Williams joining the Mets for a three-year deal worth more than $50 million. Uh Devin Williams is now on his way to the Mets. Much more coverage coming up later tonight at 11 on Sports Night. I’m Aan Mciny for Anthony McCarron. Thanks for watching and joining us for our coverage of breaking news here on sny.tv. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music]

Reacting to the Mets agreeing to a deal with Devin Williams.

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