The image of Edwin Díaz donning Dodger blue is enough to make any Mets fan nauseous, especially given the “stab in the back” nature of his exit.
Reports that Díaz felt blindsided by the team’s pursuit of Devin Williams before his own negotiations concluded add a layer of personal bitterness to a professional heartbreak. But while the fan base mourns the loss of the “Narco” era, David Stearns and the front office have quietly executed a pivot that might actually leave the bullpen in better shape than it was last season.
Losing Díaz hurts emotionally, but securing Devin Williams on a three-year, $51 million deal was a masterstroke of financial efficiency.
The Mets replaced an elite arm with another high-upside bullpen arm that fits their model for half the price, avoiding the nine-figure commitment that the Dodgers just saddled themselves with. However, Williams shouldn’t be asked to carry the load alone, and it appears the Mets are preparing to pair him with a veteran flame-thrower who fits their timeline perfectly: Robert Suarez.
Why Robert Suarez Is the Missing Link
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have engaged in discussions with Suarez, and the logic is unimpeachable.
At 34 years old, Suarez isn’t looking for a five-year pension plan; he is looking for a competitive salary on a short-term deal, which aligns beautifully with Steve Cohen’s desire to win now without clogging the future payroll. Pairing him with Williams would give the Mets two distinct, overpowering looks in the late innings—Williams’ “Airbender” changeup and Suarez’s scorching heat.
Suarez isn’t just a “veteran presence”; he is a legitimate weapon coming off a 2025 campaign where his stuff was as electric as ever. He ranked in the 83rd percentile for strikeout rate and, perhaps more impressively, the 85th percentile for walk rate, proving he can miss bats without issuing free passes. In a bullpen that often raised collective blood pressure with walks last season, Suarez’s ability to pound the zone is exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Arsenal to Dominate the Eighth Inning
What makes Suarez such an intriguing partner for Williams is the pure velocity he brings to the table. His four-seam fastball generates tremendous run value, exploding out of his hand in a way that sets up his sinker and changeup devastatingly well. While Williams dances around hitters with finesse and movement, Suarez simply overpowers them, creating a jarring contrast for opposing lineups in the seventh and eighth innings.
If the Mets can secure Suarez on a two-year pact, they effectively recreate the “super bullpen” dynamic that championship teams rely on. The nightmare of losing Edwin Díaz to a rival fades quickly if the new tandem is slamming the door shut with equal efficiency. You don’t replace a superstar with one player; you replace him with a committee of elite arms, and Suarez is the perfect complement to the pieces already in place.
Looking Ahead: A Smarter Way to Spend
Ultimately, the Mets are showing a discipline that was often missing in previous years. Instead of panicking and overpaying to keep a fan favorite, they identified a market inefficiency (Williams) and are now targeting a high-leverage veteran (Suarez) to complete the puzzle. It might lack the romance of the Díaz years, but it has the cold, hard calculation of a winning strategy.
If Stearns pulls this off, the Mets will enter 2026 with a bullpen that is deeper, cheaper, and potentially more versatile than the one they had last year.