Mets free agent prediction: Where Trevor Williams signs and for how much

Trevor Williams turned out to be one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises for the New York Mets over the last two seasons. Acquired in the middle of the 2021 season in the Javier Baez deal, he turned out to be a fantastic weapon for the Mets in this most recent campaign.

Williams was able to deliver quality innings for the team as a starter and reliever. He grew to become exactly what we thought Seth Lugo or even Robert Gsellman could be. Not many pitchers can accomplish what Williams did with such effectiveness.

A free agent this offseason, Williams can look to capitalize on his success with the Mets and earn himself some nice dough. Will he return to Flushing or find a home somewhere else? Let’s predict what happens with him.

Mets free agent prediction: Trevor Williams signs a two-year, $12 million deal with the Red Sox

At first instinct, I had Williams signing with the Tampa Bay Rays. They love their uniquely gifted pitchers. He’d be a nice fit for them for sure. However, they hate spending money.

A team that isn’t as shy about spending or even taking a chance on pitchers are the Boston Red Sox. Michael Wacha, Nick Pivetta, and even an ageless Rich Hill have had some success with them over the last two seasons or so. The team is going through a transitional phase right now with plenty of their own free agents to look at. In helping to round out the rotation and maybe fill out the bullpen, Williams is a guy for them to target.

The highest salary of Williams’ career came last season when he took in $3.9 million. I’m expecting him to get a little more AAV this offseason with a clearer path to start games. A two-year contract worth $12 million seems fair. For his situation, incentives for innings pitched or starts made would probably make sense, too.

A connection for Williams to the Red Sox also comes from the fact that Chaim Bloom is their general manager. His years in the front office down in Tampa Bay should have his mindset thinking similarly at least in some areas. A pitcher like Williams, who showed he can be valuable in two roles, is worth adding. It’s won’t be a lot of money. It could end up as quite a steal. At the very least, the Red Sox have some trade bait.