Inside The Mets

Here's Why Mets May Have to Overpay to Re-Sign Standout Hurler

The New York Mets will have to fork up some serious cash to bring one veteran pitcher back in 2025.

Grant Young

Sep 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) celebrates his solo home run against the Washington Nationals with starting pitchers Jose Quintana (62) and Luis Severino (40) during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) celebrates his solo home run against the Washington Nationals with starting pitchers Jose Quintana (62) and Luis Severino (40) during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets have some moves they must make this offseason to repair their starting rotation for 2025.

This is because their three best starters during the 2024 campaign (Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino) are all now unrestricted free agents.

The Mets could pursue fresh faces on the open market or they could try and re-sign any or all of these three veterans. But in a November 27 article, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly conveyed why re-signing Severino will likely come at a high price.

"Luis Severino pitched well enough for the Mets in 2024—3.91 ERA over 182 innings pitched—that they were willing to give him a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer for 2025. Still, he declined it," Kelly wrote in the article, which was titled 'Top MLB Free Agents Most Likely to Be Overpaid This Offseason'.

"Such a turn of events would have been unthinkable a year ago.

"After consecutive All-Star Game nods in 2017 and 2018, Severino logged just 209.1 innings pitched over the five-season stretch between 2019 and 2023," Kelly continued. "Obviously, the Tommy John surgery he underwent in February 2020 contributed to his thin workload during that period. But man, half a decade is a long time to struggle to stay on the mound. One season probably isn't enough time to convince you that the 30-year-old has completely turned the corner."

Kelly concluded by writing, "B/R has projected that Severino will sign a two-year, $38.5 million deal that allows him to opt out after the 2025 season and return to free agency. So it will take giving up draft compensation to sign Severino, and you're maybe only guaranteed one season with him.

"He wouldn't be eligible for the qualifying offer next offseason if he opts out. So you could be left empty-handed in a year. You could also get stuck with him for two years if his injury issues rear their ugly head again."

It will be interesting to see whether the Mets elect to pursue Severino this offseason or seek other options instead.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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