If Luis Severino had it his way this past offseason, he'd still be a member of the New York Mets. The veteran right-hander made that abundantly clear ahead of his new club, the Athletics, kicking off a series with his former employer.
Severino told reporters he "was trying to stay" with the Mets before the first meeting of a three-game set between the Athletics and New York. The two-time All-Star wanted to stick with the 2024 National League runner-ups and carry the momentum they built into the 2025 MLB campaign. But the two sides couldn't find common ground on a contract extension, and we know how that story ends.
The Athletics handed Severino the most guaranteed money in franchise history, signing him to a three-year, $67 million pact. However, he would've been open to taking "less money" to remain with the Mets, though New York wasn't willing to budge on their offer.
Luis Severino talked about his free agency and said he tried to stay with the Mets and asked for less money
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 11, 2025
"I told my agent I'd stay for 2 years & $40m. What my agent told me the only offer they were going to give me was the same deal they gave [Frankie] Montas (2 years, $34m)" pic.twitter.com/DKu86SqKGb
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Luis Severino would've taken 'less money' from the Mets before signing with the Athletics
New York pivoted to the oft-injured Frankie Montas, adding him on a two-year, $34 million agreement. Severino said the Mets presented him the "same deal," approximately half of what he's making with the Athletics; of course, he'd never accept that!
Even though Severino was ready to take one fewer year and over $2 million less annually from the Mets than the Athletics, that wasn't enough. He and New York were still $6 million apart, though in hindsight, baseball's wealthiest owner, Steve Cohen, probably wishes he coughed up the extra cash.
Montas has yet to take the mound for the Mets this season after being diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain in February. Moreover, Sean Manaea is tending to a right oblique strain on the 15-day injured list and recently suffered a setback. Meanwhile, New York has had to rely on career reliever-turned-starter Clay Holmes to play a more prominent role in its rotation than anticipated.