The New York Mets aren’t waiting around this offseason. David Stearns has hit the gas early, making a pair of headline-grabbing moves that signal one thing loud and clear: the Mets are done sitting on the sidelines. In the span of just a couple of weeks, Stearns has pulled off two major transactions - shipping out longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo in exchange for Marcus Semien, and then turning around to sign elite reliever Devin Williams, fresh off his stint in the Bronx.
Let’s start with Semien. Defensively, this is a win.
The Mets are getting a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman, a clear step up in run prevention. That’s no small thing for a team that struggled to keep runs off the board in 2025.
Offensively, though, Semien hasn’t been the same force he was a few years ago. His bat has cooled to the point that his numbers have dipped below Jeff McNeil’s recent output - and McNeil isn’t exactly setting the league on fire at the plate either.
Still, if the goal is to tighten up the defense and shift the team’s identity toward run prevention, Semien fits that mold.
Then there’s Devin Williams. The Mets didn’t just add a bullpen arm - they brought in one of the nastiest relievers in the game, known for a changeup that defies physics.
But here’s the catch: as good as Williams is, he’s not Edwin Díaz. Not yet, at least.
And if the Mets are hoping to contend in 2026, they’ll need someone who can lock down the ninth with the kind of dominance Díaz brought before his injury. That’s why, despite adding Williams, the Mets are still in pursuit of Díaz.
They know one elite reliever doesn’t make a bullpen - it’s the depth and versatility that win games in October.
So what do these moves actually mean for the Mets? That’s the million-dollar question.
On their own, Semien and Williams raise the floor defensively and in the bullpen, but they don’t necessarily raise the ceiling - not yet. If the season started tomorrow, the Mets would be rolling out a roster that, on paper, looks a step behind even the underwhelming 2025 version.
Semien likely replaces McNeil at second, pushing McNeil to a corner outfield spot, and Williams slots into a high-leverage bullpen role - but there are still major holes to fill, especially in the outfield and at the back end of games.
That’s where names like Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker come into play. Both are still on the Mets’ radar, with Bellinger the more likely target.
Either would be a significant upgrade in left field and help balance a lineup that still needs more pop and athleticism. But now that the Mets have made their intentions clear - going bold, going early - they’ve lost the element of surprise.
Every team in the market knows Stearns is active and aggressive, and that changes the landscape.
Take the Dodgers, for example. They were reportedly eyeing Williams to patch up their bullpen issues.
Now that he’s off the board and wearing Mets blue, do they pivot and try to pry Díaz away themselves? The Yankees, meanwhile, just lost Williams and have been linked to Bellinger for a possible reunion.
With the Mets jumping the market, New York’s other team may feel pressure to respond in kind - both in the bullpen and the outfield.
In other words, the Mets have made the first move, but the chess match is far from over. These early offseason splashes are just the opening gambit.
The real evaluation of these moves will come when we see how the rest of the roster shakes out. Semien and Williams are solid adds, but they’re also just pieces of a larger puzzle.
Stearns has made it clear he’s not done - and how he finishes this offseason will determine whether the Mets are truly ready to rebound in 2026 or if these moves were just noise without substance.
For now, the Mets are making headlines. But the real story is still being written. Stay tuned.