In announcing the three-year, $51 million contract with Devin Williams, the Mets left a space open for Edwin Díaz.
“Devin is a dynamic pitcher who will help bolster the back of the bullpen,” David Stearns said in the statement. “He is an experienced arm with a proven track record pitching in high-leverage situations.”
“Back of the bullpen” and “high-leverage situations” are terms used for valuable relievers but not often for closers. Even in this age, when roles are grayer and teams sometimes experiment with committees to lock down ninth innings, closers usually close and usually are announced with such titles. When Díaz re-signed with the Mets following the 2022 season, then-GM Billy Eppler’s statement included: “Edwin has every attribute we look for in a closer. … We are thrilled he’ll be anchoring our bullpen moving forward.”
That is how you announce you have signed a closer.
