The New York Mets have been busy reshaping their roster over the past year - and not quietly, either. In a bold, headline-grabbing stretch of moves, they’ve parted ways with longtime staples like Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz, while pulling in a surprising number of former Yankees. It’s a strategy that’s raising eyebrows across the city - and not just among fans.
Juan Soto and Clay Holmes were the first to make the jump from the Bronx to Queens last year. Now, the Mets have added right-handers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to their bullpen mix.
That’s four notable names - all with Yankee ties - now wearing Mets blue and orange. And if the Mets land Cody Bellinger, who’s still on the market, that number could climb even higher.
Michael Kay, the longtime voice of the Yankees on the YES Network, weighed in on ESPN New York this week, and he didn’t hold back. “Even Mets fans will have to admit, it’s an odd look, man,” Kay said.
“You’re putting guys together that the Yankees didn’t want there anymore. Except for Soto.
The Yankees definitely wanted Soto.”
That’s the key distinction, in Kay’s eyes. Soto, a generational talent, was a player the Yankees reportedly made a strong push to retain.
But the others? Not so much.
Kay noted that Holmes, Williams, and Weaver weren’t part of the Yankees’ future plans - not at the price tags they ultimately commanded.
Take Luke Weaver, for instance. The right-hander reportedly signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets this week.
That’s a significant raise from the roughly $2.5 million he earned when he first joined the Yankees. Kay suggested that while the Yankees appreciated what Weaver brought to the table - especially during his standout 2024 season - they weren’t willing to pay top dollar for a reliever who had lost the closer role and regressed in 2025.
“I like Luke Weaver a lot,” Kay said. “But he did not pitch as well in 2025 as he did in 2024, when he was the closer on the team that went to the World Series.
He lost the closer role this year and didn’t pitch well. So maybe the Yankees said to themselves, ‘We got everything we could out of him.
We love him, but if he can get something somewhere else, then that’s what he should do.’”
Weaver’s numbers support that narrative. In 2024, he was lights out - 84 innings, a 2.89 ERA, 103 strikeouts, and four saves.
But in 2025, his ERA climbed to 3.62 over 64.2 innings, and while he notched eight saves, his strikeout total dipped to 72. Solid, but not quite the same dominance.
That performance, coupled with the emergence of other bullpen arms, likely influenced the Yankees’ decision to let him walk.
As for Devin Williams, his tenure in the Bronx didn’t go as planned. After arriving with high expectations, the former Brewers closer struggled to find his footing. That opened the door for Weaver to briefly reclaim the ninth inning role - until both pitchers ultimately gave way to a reshuffling of the bullpen.
Now, with Williams and Weaver reunited in Queens, the Mets are hoping to stabilize the back end of their bullpen. Williams is expected to close, with Weaver likely slotting in as a high-leverage setup man. It’s a pairing that could pay off - if both can bounce back to their 2024 form.
And then there’s the looming possibility of Bellinger. The 30-year-old slugger had a strong 2025 campaign with the Yankees after they pivoted to him following Soto’s departure.
He declined a $22.05 million qualifying offer and remains one of the most intriguing free agents on the market. If the Mets were to land him, it would add yet another layer to this unusual inter-borough pipeline.
Kay summed it up bluntly: “It’s just odd. Devin Williams-Yankees to the Mets.
Clay Holmes-Yankees to the Mets. Weaver-Yankees to the Mets.
Soto-Yankees to the Mets. And, by the time this offseason is over, it could be Cody Bellinger-Yankees to the Mets.”
Odd? Maybe.
But it’s also fascinating. The Mets are clearly not shying away from acquiring talent - even if it means scooping up players their crosstown rivals have moved on from.
Whether this strategy leads to wins remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: the Subway Series just got a whole lot more personal.