ORLANDO, Fla. -- New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged the team's signing of Devin Williams earlier this month impacted its pursuit of incumbent All-Star closer Edwin Diaz , who agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.

"I'm not going to talk about any specific negotiation," said Stearns, who declined to directly comment on Diaz's agreement with the Dodgers because it was not yet official. "What I'll say is once you add to a certain part of our team that will change the calculus in how you look at your team in general."

The margin in payouts between Williams, who is coming off a down season, and Diaz, who again was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2025, was not as expansive as widely expected entering the offseason.

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