The New York Mets are taking a big risk by signing reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal after an up-and-down season with the Yankees in 2025.
In fact, they could be making the same mistake twice following what was a disastrous signing of starting pitcher Frankie Montas to a two-year contract (player option in 2026) last winter.
What’s the common denominator here? Adding a player who has shown in the past that they might not be able to handle pitching in New York.
For Montas, it was the 2022 season where he was dealt to the Yankees at the trade deadline and proceeded to post an abysmal 6.35 ERA in eight starts down the stretch. Montas would miss all but one game in 2023 after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Montas was serviceable for the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, but still held a high ERA at 4.84.
Montas returned to New York in 2025 where he had a brief and horrific stint with the Mets, producing a 6.28 ERA in nine appearances before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Montas exercised his $17 million player option after the season, which the Mets are still on the hook for even after releasing the right-hander. The Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal last offseason.
The 32-year-old was never able to return to his form with the A’s, where he had a 3.70 ERA in six seasons from 2017-2022.
As for Williams, the former Brewers’ closer was traded to the Yankees for Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes last December. In his lone season in the Bronx, Williams had a 4.79 ERA and -0.3 bWAR in 67 appearances and lost the closer job.