The Mets can’t stop signing ex-Yankees.
Adding reliever Devin Williams on a three-year, $51 million contract on Monday continued a recent trend of the crosstown rivals swiping players from the AL East squad after they depart The Bronx.
While the teams did not wage free-agent battles over each player, with the notable exception being the 2024 offseason war for Juan Soto, it’s certainly notable that the Mets keep adding former Bronx Bombers, particularly since owner Steve Cohen took over prior to the 2021 season.
Here’s a look at some of those who have traded the 4 train for the 7 train in the last five years.
Juan Soto (2025)
Soto tops this list after the Yankees and Mets battled for his services prior to the 2025 season, with the Mets eventually landing him with a record 15-year deal that can clear $800 million.
While he only played one year in The Bronx, signing Soto marked a huge milestone for the Mets in that they won a notable bidding war against the Yankees.
Clay Holmes (2025)
After a successful, albeit at times frustrating, three-and-a-half-year stretch as the Yankees’ closer, Holmes left the team to become a starting pitcher for the Mets.
Holmes posted a solid 3.53 ERA in 33 games (31 starts) in a successful transition year, but he struggled to pitch deep into games and seemingly ran out of gas down the stretch.
Frankie Montas (2025)
Montas is one of the Yankees’ biggest busts in recent memory, providing just nine outings and eight starts after being acquired during the 2022 season.
The veteran had a buffer year in Cincinnati and Milwaukee before signing with the Mets, and his second New York stint proved just as disastrous.
The righty posted a 6.28 ERA before needing season-ending surgery, and the Mets released him this offseason since he will miss the entire 2026 season.
Carlos Mendoza (2024)
The Mets turned to Aaron Boone’s former bench coach in Carlos Mendoza when choosing their next manager to replace Buck Showalter.
Mendoza spent six years on the Yankees’ staff, beginning with Boone’s hiring for the 2018 season, and spent his final four seasons as Boone’s No. 2.
Assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel also left the Yankees for the Mets.
Luis Severino (2024)
Severino spent eight seasons with the Yankees, and his time with the franchise ended on a sour note, with the righty posting a 6.65 ERA in 2023.
He signed a one-year deal with the Mets and enjoyed a career revival, tallying a 3.91 ERA across 31 starts, his most since the 2018 season.
Severino turned that Mets success into a three-year, $67 million pact with the A’s.
Harrison Bader (2024)
The Yankees acquired Bader during the 2022 season and he provided a jolt in October, but he ultimately struggled to stay on the field and did not in 2023.
The Mets signed him before the 2024 season, and while he started hot, Bader ultimately did not produce and ceded playing time to Tyrone Taylor.
Luis Torrens (2024)
Torrens never played for the Yankees, but they originally signed him as an amateur free agent.
The Bronx Bombers lost him in the Rule 5 draft before he returned in 2024, and the Yankees traded him that season to the Mets.
He’s since been a strong backup and has been elite in stopping opposing base stealers.
David Robertson (2023)
Robertson emerged as a top reliever with the Yankees from 2008-14 before leaving for the White Sox and then being acquired by the Yankees during the 2018 season.
He eventually signed with the Mets during the lost 2023 season, but pitched well enough that the team flipped him for a pair of prospects.
Gary Sanchez (2023)
This one barely makes the cut since Sanchez appeared in just three games with the Mets in 2023.
However, Sanchez began his career with the Yankees to critical acclaim before he struggled to hit above The Mendoza Line during his final few years.
Buck Showalter (2022)
There’s certainly a gap here, but Showalter began his managerial career with the Yankees in 1992 and guided the team for four years before being replaced before the start of the dynasty.
He joined the Mets in 2022 and led the team to the playoffs that fall, although the squad collapsed down the stretch, and then oversaw a disastrous 75-87 season in 2023 that led to his firing.
Billy Eppler (2022)
The Mets hired Billy Eppler to serve as their general manager ahead of the 2022 season.
Eppler served as Brian Cashman’s right-hand man in The Bronx before a failed run as the Angels’ general manager, and he lasted just two years with the Mets before resigning.
He landed on MLB’s ineligible list for violating rules regarding players on the injured list.
Adam Ottavino (2022)
The Yankees signed Ottavino before the 2019 season and he had an excellent first season before unraveling in the playoffs and struggling the following campaign.
He later signed with the Mets in 2022 and spent three years with the team from 2022-24, enjoying a stellar campaign in his first season.
Ottavino returned to the Yankees for three games this past season.
Honorable mention: Robinson Cano (2019)
While Cano did not land with the Mets during Cohen’s tenure, he’s still one of the better players to swap sides in the rivalry.
Former Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen acquired Cano and Edwin Diaz from the Mariners — who signed Cano instead of the Yankees — ahead of the 2019 season.
Cano did not deliver in Queens before the Mets moved on during the 2022 season.
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