Details of Devin Williams’ contract show his NY Mets marriage is meant to be

If the New York Mets wanted to send a message that Devin Williams isn’t just a luxury add-on but a long-term pillar of their pitching identity, this contract does it. The structure is tidy, strategic, and — most importantly — very Mets under the current regime. 

Start with the $6 million signing bonus, split over three years. It’s not just a nice welcome gift, it’s guaranteed even in the middle of a work stoppage. Should MLB stumble into another labor mess in 2026, Williams still gets paid on April 1. It’s insurance for him, certainty for the Mets, and one of those quiet details that makes a marriage feel intentional rather than transactional.

Devin Williams’ contract details prove the Mets are planning around him

Then there’s the salary structure, as detailed by baseball columnist Jon Heyman: $15 million each year from 2026–28, with $5 million deferred annually. That does two things. First, it keeps the yearly cash flow to a very comfortable $12 million (the $10 million salary paid that season plus that year’s $2 million slice of the signing bonus). 

Second, it fits neatly into the team’s three-year competitive window without ballooning the present-day payroll. The deferred money still counts for luxury tax purposes, but in terms of true spending power? The Mets get real breathing room to build around him.

Williams gets long-term security and a guarantee the Mets will keep adding around him, while the Mets get an elite, still-in-his-prime reliever without handcuffing themselves. Everyone wins.

And then there’s the kicker, literally. A one-time $1 million bonus if he’s traded. It’s small but meaningful. It says two things:

1. The Mets don’t plan on trading him.
2. If something truly unexpected forces their hand, Williams gets rewarded for the inconvenience.

No “thanks for your service,” no “good luck wherever you land.” Instead, it’s: If we move you, you’re getting a check on the way out.

Step back and the whole thing looks very Stearns-era Mets: deliberate spending, intentional deferrals, a flexible framework, and real stability in the spots that matter most.

They’re building a contender methodically. And signing Devin Williams this way feels like another step toward that version of the Mets: the one that plans for the future while actually investing in the present.

A three-year marriage? Sure. But the way this contract is built, it feels like the Mets may want this partnership to last even longer.