Here’s how Devin Williams’ signing impacts the Mets and Edwin Diaz

Here’s how Devin Williams’ signing impacts the Mets and Edwin Diaz

Let’s begin right there. Eddie,
what do you make of this move here? Devin Williams across
town, to the New York Mets? I make of it for Devin from
Devin Williams perspective that
He adjusted tremendously to New
York over the course of the season. I mean this was not working in New York at a
certain point and I did hear from Yankees people that he got
noticeably more comfortable and at ease in this city and in this
market towards the end of the year and the other thing I
make of it is that he’s willing to sign without knowing his exact role
because he’s either going to be, he’s going to its high
Leverage, is the right word, whether that’s the eighth
inning, the Ninth inning, obviously that all depends on
what’s to come and the Mets Bullpen signing. So, the Mets benefited from Williams willingness to be flexible there
too, right. And you mentioned, listen it was
a rough. Go for him at the beginning with the Yankees.
What was when you look at him a little bit closer was, what
was behind the up-and-down 2025 season in the Bronx? Yeah,
I think that we call it a down year, but in a
lot of ways, there are a lot of positives to. So some of the
stats did stand out as still top of the top of the market,
top of the league. So, like Acted opponent average for
example where Freight Those are still
really good but don’t we look at Exit V, Lo Barrel rate,
essentially the quality of contact against his pitches
that’s where we see some of the issues coming. So I did a
little digging in The Change-Up seem to be great. Still it was a fastball that was an
issue. So it’s going to be up to the mess
analytics staff and pitching staff to fix it. They’re going
to have a lot more information than I do from looking at
baseball so bought and things like that. But what I did notice
is that for the first time, the induced vertical break
was in the – which is not necessarily a good thing for a
foursome. A fastball. And also in the
prior year he was really placing it in different spots at
the top of the Zone this year is really kind of just
in one spot. So if he’s able to kind of make a dance
around, move around a little bit, maybe go get some of that
vertical break back that could help. Also in Prior years, he
use The Change-Up even more than 50% of the time last year,
I think was 52%. But if he increases that changeup usage,
that might also help. One of the things we know about Devin
Williams, when that Airbender is going. Well, it’s one of the
most lethal pitches in all of baseball, but we also
know this adjusting to New York. Can be a really big deal and a
difficult deal. So it’s not for everybody David. How do you
assess his time here in New York so far? Well, I think the
good thing about his first year in New York is the fact that
it’s now behind them because when you came over to
the Yankees, his world was just kind of torn
apart. I mean, he was going into his free agency year and he
just gets traded to an entirely new team. I don’t
think he was happy about that, it was pretty obvious. When he
showed up for spring training, he didn’t seem very happy. He also got traded to a team
that had a no beard policy and he was pretty fond of his
facial. Are, you know, we kind of joke. About it now. But it
was a big deal and we saw the Yankees trait,
you know, change the whole policy at the half, a century
policy to a note partly to adapt to him. And I think he was
more comfortable with that, but it really took him awhile.
And you mentioned Howard to get better towards towards the end.
And I think it did take all that time from to do that as
unhappy as he was with the new surroundings when you throw in
his struggles on top of that he lost us the he lost the closure
job you know on top of it. So that was pretty rough. He had
never really been through anything like that during Time
they’re being booed, in the Bronx is no fun. That
happened to him frequently. That
makes it very difficult to go to work
there. But here’s the positive and
certainly from the Met standpoint, he finished strong
at the end. So we certainly was figuring things out like you
mentioned high-leverage, you wasn’t a closer then. The other
part is he’s kind of made it out through the other side. He’s
been through the worst part. New York has to offer now. I think he can be
confident with that and the Mets are getting a
battle-tested, New York tested relief pitcher now. And I think
that that’s a huge plus. Shall we heard about this deal originally? I
think Think that the question everybody had? What is it mean
for Edwin D has DS. I think that’s the big thing that still
hangs out there andy. Yeah, it doesn’t mean a ton for
Diaz Gary in that the Mets have always been after multiple back
end of the bullpen high-leverage relievers. So it’s
very clear that they are still on Edwin Diaz. Now having
said that and I believe that when I hear it, but the Mets, do it a little bit
more leverage over Diaz now because they have another
All-Star closer on their team, they need multiple relievers.
Where the bullpen was at the end of last year and they
still want Diaz and I think if they can agree on term which
is always a big if Diaz does want them. But it’s like if you sign
another guy that can play first that helps you in the Alonso
negotiations. There’s no denying that sure that they’re
not desperate for Diaz anymore. Let’s I just think that the
Williams signing it gives them at so much
security because I don’t have to sign Diaz. Now, I would
love for them to be as. Could you imagine Williams as the
setup guy? And then he has a closer that’s incredible. Or
if one of them is kind of having an off year, they’re doing Better. You can kind of flip
them. So it kind of provides you with two closers which is
kind of the dream. So I would love to see both them on this
talk. I wonder if for whatever reason they don’t bring Edwin
Diaz back, he goes elsewhere. Is there somebody else on the
market or multiple people on the market? David that you would
like to see in a Mets? You well, for one, you don’t replace
Diaz, right? I mean, I know we talked about Devin
Williams as being give them a kind of a safety blanket. Now
in case the DS thing doesn’t happen. So the closest thing
free-agent wisest, you’re talking about Robert Suarez. I
mean, that that’s the next step for them and I certainly believe
they would pivot to him. But if not, you can leave what
Williams into clothes or roll. Maybe you go for somebody like
Pete Fairbanks, Susan a veteran, leverage guy that you can bring
it to the bullpen to. So Suarez is the number one guy that you
would bring in there for Diaz, but you may have to get creative
and William is a guy who I believe can close the Met certainly feel
that way. So, you know, I think we’ll wait and
see. Diaz is there is the priority at this point, but
as we’ve just watching Suarez there, he’s up to the job to he
is up to the job. He’s really good at what he does. One of the things we know about
Edwin and we talked about this as well. Well when it comes to
Devin Williams, he’s thrived here in New York City, when the
trumpets play at at Citi Field, that’s magical, right? And
certain guys have the ability to live up to
the moment, he’s got that. Do you risk if you lose Edwin Diaz,
do you risk losing a guy who you know, can get it done at
the back end to know, honestly Gary. Yes and no, I
think those trumpets made everyone a lot of money the
first time. And I think that if you bring in
a closer who doesn’t have trumpets and stuff is just a
little bit down from Diaz, he probably still converts most of
the safes. And Everybody look his this is not
to criticize him as anything. That’s not well known. But he’s
also like he’s single-handedly tank them as playoff run in
2019. Like he’s had ups and downs. So I don’t want to cast
him as somebody who’s like this perfect. New York guy and it’s
been a spotless record. We know he can pitch here but we know he
can also struggle here and I think that that would
describe a lot of relievers on
the

On Mets Hot Stove, Gary Apple, Andy Martino, Liz Benn and Dave Lennon discuss the Mets signing of Devin Williams and what it means for Edwin Diaz’s future with the team.

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