New York Mets engaged with these top free agent relievers

The New York Mets have begun working to improve their bullpen this winter. The addition of Devin Williams on a three-year deal ensures the Mets have an option capable of closing games in the event Edwin Diaz leaves in free agency, but it doesn't sound like David Stearns is done hunting for relief help.

Devin Williams is switching boroughs in the Big Apple 🍎

He's officially a member of the New York @Mets! pic.twitter.com/eUkXWpBN9o
— MLB (@MLB) December 4, 2025

While Diaz is still a possibility to return, SNY's Andy Martino reported at the Winter Meetings that the Mets have engaged with many of the top relievers on the market. Martino notes that the Mets have even touched base with Robert Suarez and Pete Fairbanks in addition to Diaz, giving them interest in three of the top closers available.

Where would the Mets go next if Edwin Díaz signs elsewhere? @martinonyc talks about their options on Mets Hot Stove:

"They're talking to Robert Suárez and Pete Fairbanks. They're engaged in the top of the relief market. They could go there. For the same reasons of David Stearns'… pic.twitter.com/CiivpxZ9Rn
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) December 7, 2025

The report from Martino also mentioned that the Mets feel like they will add at least one more reliever to join Williams, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley to form a strong back end of their bullpen. Martino did caution that Stearns' philosophy on signing free agent contracts that make sense, especially for relievers, could cause him to pivot away from the top of the market it if reaches a place he isn't comfortable spending.

Andy Martino on the Mets and Edwin Diaz:

“I don’t get a sense that a resolution is too near on this one.” pic.twitter.com/eBkaxkOvKW
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) December 7, 2025

The Mets' bullpen plans may feature one key flaw

While the addition of Williams is a good start for the Mets' bullpen, it really should be in tandem with a return from Diaz to give them a dominant 1-2 punch in the back end. Stearns may not be comfortable giving relievers longer-term deals, but Diaz should be a notable exception as the best reliever in the league who has shown comfort pitching in the stressful New York market, which neither Suarez or Fairbanks have done to this point.

The most concerning part of Martino's report is his final takeaway that the Mets believe they have developed enough as an organization to find undervalued players and turn them into stars through their pitching development program. Stearns has shown an ability to find those gems from his time in Milwaukee, but it hasn't happened much in his two years in New York; Luis Severino's 2024 season, Clay Holmes' 2025 conversion to a starting pitcher and the emergence of Reed Garrett (who is out for all of 2026) are the only notable examples so far.

Former Mets GM Sandy Alderson once made a great point that if every team is rational on free agents, they will finish third for every player on the market. Going nuts for every player who could fit a need creates bloated payrolls with limited flexibility, something Stearns is working hard to avoid in New York, but a player like Diaz needs to be an exception since he is the best in his craft and letting him walk over years is organizational malpractice.

Starting with anyone other than Diaz in the closer's chair will be a downgrade for the Mets, no matter who Stearns pairs with Williams. It isn't ideal to hand a 32-year old closer a fourth year on a contract, but Diaz is a unique case that should cause Stearns to behave slightly irrationally to keep an elite talent on his club.

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The Mets' bullpen plans may feature one key flaw

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