Inside The Mets

Could Mets Trade Away Top Prospect For Elite Closer This Offseason?

The New York Mets could acquire one of baseball's best closers this offseason. But they might have to part ways with a beloved prospect in order to do so.

Grant Young

Aug 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Aug 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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Adding a new closer isn't necessarily at the top of the New York Mets' offseason to-do list.

But if they're given a golden opportunity to improve the back end of their bullpen, one would imagine that New York would pull the trigger. And that golden opportunity may be presenting itself this offseason, in the form of Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams.

In a November 4 article, ESPN insider Buster Olney noted that the Mets, "Could be involved in talks with the Brewers for Devin Williams."

Mets fans may know Williams best for giving up a three-run home run to Pete Alonso in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card round last month.

However, that shortcoming doesn't deter from the fact that Williams posted a 1.25 ERA and 14 saves during the 2024 regular season, and has been one of baseball's best closers for the past few seasons.

Now that Williams is reportedly on the trading block, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer crafted a compelling potential trade proposal that could make Williams a Met in a November 6 article.

"Trade Proposal: New York Mets get RHP Devin Williams; Milwaukee Brewers get 3B Brett Baty, INF Luisangel Acuña (Mets No. 5)," Rymer wrote.

He also added, "Whenever a Brewer is on the trading block, I am contractually obligated to bring up the Mets as a possible destination.

"The connection is unavoidable because of David Stearns. Before accepting his current gig as president of baseball operations with the Mets, he had a highly successful run in charge of Milwaukee's front office," Rymer continued.

"In the here and now, the 39-year-old is looking at a bullpen depth chart that has been decimated by free agency. He should also want to add insurance for Díaz, who only occasionally looked like his old self in his return from knee surgery."

Rymer later noted, "The Mets will need Baty if they don't re-sign Pete Alonso, but he sure looks like a change-of-scenery trade chip in the meantime. For his part, it's telling that Acuña didn't start a single game in the playoffs. Whether a starting role awaits him in 2025 is unclear."

Given Acuña's impressive success (.308 average, .966 OPS, and 3 home runs in 39 regular season at-bats in 2024) in albeit limited playing time, the Mets might be hesitant to part ways with the 22-year-old; not to mention that Baty was also once a top prospect.

But if it means his team would get Williams in return, trading top-tier prospects is something Stearns could certainly consider.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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