Devin Williams is handing David Stearns an easy NY Mets trade deadline answer

Some trade deadline decisions are easy. You sell Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, and Tyrone Taylor. You shop Freddy Peralta until the last minute and get the best deal. David Stearns has a lot of work ahead of him to try and fix the New York Mets. His most complicated decision might have to do with the future of Luke Weaver.

Signed for two years and on a scoreless streak dating back to the end of April, Weaver has performed above expectations. He was meant to be both Devin Williams insurance as well as the shutdown 7th and 8th inning arm that he has been. Not always flashy or particularly frightening, he gets the job done as well as anyone. Williams, blowing only his second save of the season but seeing his ERA jump to 4.85 on the season on Monday night, sent Stearns a reminder.

The choice with Weaver will have a lot to do with what teams are offering. It’ll also give some indication as to how much Stearns actually thinks Williams can put together a good year as the closer next season.

Keeping Luke Weaver is the best situation for the Mets next season

Steve Cohen said David Stearns isn’t going anywhere, at least not yet. What’s best for this is having Weaver around for another year. The moment the Mets trade Weaver, they’re going to be on the hunt to find a replacement even if it’s only in theory.

We already know the Mets are bound to trade Raley and Minter. That’s two arms missing from the bullpen, albeit both lefties. The free agent class of relievers isn’t an excellent one. A couple of closers are there. No specific late-inning, high-leverage arm at the caliber of Weaver is present. Replacing him seems like it would require a separate trade or demoting Williams from the closer role and replacing him with a high-priced 9th inning guy. Not out of the question, the Mets can't be so sure they'll actually be able to find someone in free agency or trades that's a legitimate upgrade.

A primary goal of Stearns’ at the trade deadline should be to make moves that set up the team well for 2027. This means keeping Weaver around. There is, like most rules, an exception.

If a team offers MLB-ready talent for Weaver and in abundance, it might be hard to say no. This seems unlikely as anyone serious about contending won’t have those desirable pieces for the Mets. There aren’t too many positions on the field where they could use a boost. It’s the starting rotation and bullpen the Mets need bodies most with a reevaluation of the corner infield in the offseason.

The Chicago Cubs including Pedro Ramirez (3B, ranked 73rd by MLB Pipeline) is one example of something that’ll be helpful as soon as next season. He’s already in the majors and the team signed Alex Bregman this past offseason. A move to first base to replace Michael Busch is one possibility. They could also use him to help their absentee bullpen this year and next with a deal for someone like Weaver.

Selling Weaver for anything short of immediate help for next season would be arrogant for someone whose job should be on the line if the team fails next season. Even a player like Ramirez comes with the risk of not producing soon enough and, in essence, helping to cost Stearns him job pretty quickly.

Williams fell forward into the closer's role when Edwin Diaz ditched the Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The original plan was to have them both, Williams as the setup man. Weaver was a successful Plan-B by the Mets that, if traded now, becomes a forgotten element of what Stearns has actually done right over the last two seasons. For the sake of his job, double the ransom or keep him around.

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