The New York Mets are set to experience life without Edwin Diaz as their closer for the first time since 2018 after Tuesday’s report of him agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Stearns was prepared for this to potentially happen which is why he went out and acquired Devin Williams earlier in the offseason. That coverage turned proved wise as the Mets won’t be able to turn to Diaz to slam the door in their opponent’s face anymore.

Despite Diaz leaving the organization, Stearns believes Williams will handle the closer role just fine.

“We’re very comfortable with that,” Stearns told SNY. “I’ve certainly seen Devin perform at a very high level for a long time. I have full confidence that he can be one of the best relievers in baseball. I think he’s very motivated to do that, and I’m looking forward to watching that. I’m very optimistic about where our offseason is headed. We certainly have work to do, but there are a lot of good players out there, and I’m confident that we’re really going to like where our team is once we get to Opening Day.”

Stearns is familiar with Williams from their time together with the Milwaukee Brewers and while that certainly bodes well for Williams that he is supported by the front office, he will face a lot of pressure next season as he tries to bounce back from the worst season of his career with the New York Yankees. The 31-year-old allowed a career-high 33 earned runs and posted a career-worst 85 ERA+ this past season.

This all but confirms the Mets will build their bullpen around Williams as they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs after missing out last season. There are still some quality relievers on the market for the Mets to bring in around him such as Robert Suarez, Pete Fairbanks and Luke Weaver, but the Mets will have to act quickly to sign a high leverage reliever.

The jury is out on if this was the right decision for the Mets, but it’s clear the organization is trying to shake things up after a down season.

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