The second the New York Mets handed Devin Williams three years and $51 million, every bullpen plan across baseball went sideways — including the Detroit Tigers'.
That deal didn’t just remove one elite closer from the market. It set the tone. And then when the Baltimore Orioles scooped up Ryan Helsley for two years and $28 million, the message got even louder: "If you want a late-inning arm, you're paying up. Right now."
So where does that leave the Detroit Tigers? Right on the clock.
Devin Williams signing with Mets gave the relief market a price tag, putting pressure on Tigers to act now
The deals for Williams and Helsley drew lines in the sand.