These Key Players Have Officially Rejected Mets' Qualifying Offer

The New York Mets saw three of their key players from the 2024 season officially reject the qualifying offer at Tuesday's deadline.

Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run with New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino (left) and pitcher Jose Quintana (right) in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Mets will not be retaining anyone on the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer as expected.

The MLB Players Association announced the decisions of every player around the league who had the QO extended to them. This included first baseman Pete Alonso, plus starting pitchers' Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, who all rejected the offer.

As expected for the Mets: Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino have all declined their qualifying offers

Juan Soto shockingly declines his with the Yankees (kidding) https://t.co/Wrj6Jm1oZ2

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) November 19, 2024

This was the expectation all along as this star studded trio will be seeking long-term deals on the open market in free agency.

Alonso is coming off a down year compared to his normal standard, but still slugged 34 home runs, drove in 88 RBI and posted a .788 OPS while playing in all 162 games. He also performed well in the postseason, hitting four homers and posting a .999 OPS in 13 games in October. This included a heroic go-ahead three-run shot in the top of the ninth inning to help the Mets come back to knock off the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round.

There could be some hesitance among teams (The Mets too) to dish out a long-term contract to a soon-to-be 30 power-hitting first baseman, That being said, Alonso has been one of the most feared power bats in the game since making his MLB debut in 2019.

While the Mets' current focus appears to be on superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who they met with in California over the weekend, Alonso is still a possibility to return to Queens. Both Soto and Alonso are represented by super agent Scott Boras.

Should Alonso return to the Mets for the foreseeable future, he would be destined to become the best hitter in franchise history.

Manaea, another client of Boras, is coming off a breakout campaign for the Mets, where he went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings and 32 starts. The lefty declined his $13.5 million player option for 2025 to instead test the open market in search of a long-term contract at higher AAV.

Manaea changed his arm angle midway through the season to replicate NL Cy Young frontrunner Chris Sale and it paid dividends. The southpaw produced a 2.65 ERA in his first three postseason starts before running out of gas in his final outing in the NLCS (2 IP, 5 ER) against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As for Severino, the righty bounced-back in a major way after switching boroughs last season. A one-year, $13 million prove it deal turned into a 11-7 record, 3.91 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 161 strikeouts in 182 innings (31 starts) as a workhorse for the Mets.

Severino will turn 31 in February, but has seemingly earned himself a multi-year deal in free agency.

All three players will go out to see what their value is around the league, and it's still possible that all, two, one or none could be in a Mets uniform come Opening Day 2025.

The Mets will receive a compensation pick in the MLB Draft for each of Alonso, Manaea and/or Severino if they depart for another club.