Another Yankees player not named Cody Bellinger for the NY Mets to pilfer next

Being little brother as a sports franchise in the big apple is not an easy plight. The New York Mets have looked up at the New York Yankees forever. And as it stands, the Yankees have more recently made the playoffs, so it's not as if the Mets have flipped the tables just yet.

But one thing that is undeniable is that the Mets have significantly more monetary flexibility on the market than the Yankees, something I never would have believed before Steve Cohen purchased the club. There's no outbidding the Mets if they really want someone.

On Monday night, the Mets swooped in and picked off a Yankee free agent in relief pitcher Devin Williams. Now, before Yankees fans beat down my door, I don't think the Yankees were actively pining for a return to the Bronx for Williams, considering they declined to present him with the $22 million qualifying offer. But knowing the Mets are armed with myriad capital, the likes of which the Yankees can't begin to fathom these days, more poaching could follow.

If the Mets get aggressive with one specific free agent, they can sock the Bronx Bombers with a one-two punch straight to the bullpen.

The Mets can bolster their bullpen at the expense of the Yankees

Luke Weaver, a righty reliever and 10-year veteran, is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Yankees, delivering 161.3 stellar innings over 2.5 seasons. In the past two years, he recorded a 0.975 WHIP, 3.26 ERA, and 126.5 ERA+. While he'll allow the occasional homer, he largely keeps batters off the base paths, posting an elite .253 on-base percentage against in 2024 and 2025 combined.

He's also a strikeout artist, putting up 10.6 K's per nine, and a 28.9% strikeout rate during his tenure in the Bronx. This is a legitimate pitcher who could further substantiate the Mets' bullpen among the tops in baseball.

A lot of conversation regarding both the Mets' bullpen and general free agency revolves around Edwin Diaz, of course. It remains to be seen whether he'll keep his trumpet in Queens or take his act on the road. But this move makes sense regardless. Especially since it isn't my money Steve Cohen is spending, and there's no cap restricting further aggression.

Without Diaz, this would be the kind of move that can legitimately rescue a bullpen in danger of sliding drastically in talent. While Weaver wouldn't be a one-for-one replacement for Diaz in terms of caliber, it's hard to do much better at this stage.

With Diaz, this would be the kind of move that places the Mets' bullpen firmly ahead of most in the league. Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver would be quite the combination to roll out there. Run prevention is going to be a focus this season, and loading up the bullpen is certainly one way to do that.

This also provides an opportunity to really bother Yankees fans. Devin Williams wasn't exactly a fan favorite in that borough, but losing Luke Weaver would be a gut punch to that fanbase. They want him back, and the last organization they want to see publicly outbid them for his services is the Mets.

If the Yankees have bullpen issues this season, and they look across town to see two of their former late-inning arms performing well for the Mets, not much could be sweeter. If the Mets decide they don't want to dole out that much capital for the bullpen, I would understand it.

But if they decide that it's a worthy path to take, Luke Weaver is a perfect addition to the roster. And a perfect loss to hand the Yankees.