Not long after the New York Mets signed Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that they are still in on bringing back Edwin Diaz.
Worse? Williams is apparently cool with pitching in a setup role if that’s what it takes.
Translation, from a Los Angeles Dodgers fan’s perspective: the Mets just walked into the free-agent bullpen aisle and started emptying shelves into their cart. This isn’t team building anymore. This is competitive hoarding.
Let’s call a spade a spade: the Mets are breaking the market on purpose. The moment they yanked Williams off the board, the relief market stopped being a market and became an auction hall on fire. It’s not just one elite arm suddenly gone — it’s the psychological shockwave that follows. If the Mets also bring back Diaz, that’s two of the most devastating relievers in baseball tied to the same bullpen door.
And when that happens? Every other reliever’s agent in baseball hears one thing: “Prices just went up.” Every decent setup man becomes a “closer-caliber option.” Every closer with a pulse suddenly deserves “premium leverage money.” Every middle reliever becomes “a late-inning weapon” in a PowerPoint. The Mets won’t just sign stars — they’ll reset the salary curve.
Mets, RHP Devin Williams agree to 3-year deal, per multiple reports including https://t.co/Z3s2EphcSH‘s @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/CxMNHcsX2W
— MLB (@MLB) December 2, 2025Mets signing Devin Williams puts pressure on Dodgers to act fast on relief pitcher market
The Dodgers’ bullpen has been held together with duct tape and dreams for years. We all know it. And if the Mets snag Diaz too, the Dodgers will be left staring down a bullpen landscape where the elite tier is gone, the second tier is suddenly overpriced, and the third tier is getting “starter money.” You don’t “wait out” a market like that. You get crushed by it.
The Dodgers’ front office can’t afford to be passive while the Mets act like a hedge fund manager with a blank check. This is the moment where the Dodgers either strike fast, or get stuck explaining why they “liked the options” but “didn’t love the prices.”
The ugly truth is that if the Mets successfully land both Williams and Diaz, they won’t just dominate the relief market –– they’ll wreck it. And the Dodgers, with all their championship expectations and bullpen questions, will be the ones left holding a very expensive bag of “almosts.”
The Mets aren’t just flexing. They’re flooding the market. And if the Dodgers don’t move now, they won’t just lose relievers –– they’ll lose leverage. And that’s how championship windows crack.