Devin Williams is drawing some frightening NY Mets comparisons

The New York Mets have one piece of their late-inning bullpen puzzle figured out, even though they're not yet sure where Devin Williams will ultimately slide in. He might end up being the closer, or he might be the setup man, but in either scenario, the club will be counting on him to excel in high leverage.

That's a gamble. And at three years, $51 million, it's not a cheap one. There are, of course, plenty of things to like about Williams, but there are just as many reasons to be frightened.

Relievers, after all, are the most volatile players in the sport. The game is littered with guys who were looked downright unhittable for a year or two, but then, overnight, everything came crumbling down. Of course, Williams isn't unique in that concern, but there are a few other things in his profile that should worry you.

Devin Williams could be a frightening proposition for the Mets

Williams' career arc and a walk through recent Mets history is cause for concern. Some of his most similar comps based on Baseball Reference similarity scores are Dellin Betances and Ryan Helsley. Both of these guys were dominant for large stretches elsewhere only to have the wheels fall off in Queens. If it's any consolation, it's likely that Betances' downfall was injury-related, but we can't say the same for Helsley.

Next up is the similarity between Williams and another once-dominant reliever from the Mets' past, Jeurys Familia. Familia is a prime example of the short shelf life that relievers have. His reign on top didn't last as long as Williams, but as he approached 30, he turned into a pumpkin. Williams is fresh off his age-30 season, and his 4.79 ERA in the Bronx could be the signal that it's all coming crashing down for him.

Lastly, there's the New York of it all. Williams didn't have a choice when he arrived in the Bronx, but he did this time around. The list of players who have proven they can't handle the New York spotlight is long. There's Sonny Gray, who has been in the news recently following his trade to the Boston Red Sox and subsequent harsh comments about his Yankees tenure. The recent Mets' nightmare, Frankie Montas, is another prime example.

That should be the biggest concern with Williams. He never looked the same after giving up the big postseason homer to Pete Alonso, bombed in New York with the Yankees, and while he chose the Mets, that could have all come down to money. Earlier in the process, Bob Nightengale reported that Williams, a St. Louis native, preferred a Midwest landing spot.

It wouldn't be the first time that a player sacrificed comfort for dollars, and some of those situations have worked out terribly. All of this should put pressure on David Stearns to go out and get either Edwin Diaz or Robert Suarez for the ninth and pick up another quality setup option. The cost is prohibitive, and it's not a great use of resources, but given the concerns on multiple fronts with Williams, it might be the only way to mitigate a potential disaster.