As recently as last year, Severino seemed on the cusp of rejoining a familiar team, only $6 million away from a reunion that would have brought him full circle. However, fate had other plans. With a twist of the tale, he found himself in Sacramento, far from the Broadway lights where he spent almost ten years pitching. The last decade witnessed Severino throwing fireballs in Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. But now, he is set to play in the Athletics’ Sutter Health Park!
What’s more surprising is that Severino’s stint with New York was nothing but impressive. But it appears the Mets don’t see it that way. Mets Insider Mike Puma reported, “Luis Severino said he told the Mets he was willing to accept less for a return than the 3-year deal worth $67 million he got from the A’s. Severino was willing to accept 2 years for $40 million, but the Mets had other plans.”
Luis Severino said he told the Mets he was willing to accept less for a return than the 3-year deal worth $67 million he got from the A’s. Severino was willing to accept 2 years for $40 million, but the Mets “had other plans.”
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) April 11, 2025
Reportedly, the Mets offered a qualifying offer to Severino for a two-year, $34 million deal. However, Severino believed he was worth more than that, especially considering his outstanding starts for the Mets the previous season. He thought a $40 million, two-year contract would be reasonable. Yes, that’s the $6 million difference that made them part ways. What followed was a not-so-likely $67 million offer for three years by the A’s. While Severino was ready to stay with the Mets for $40 million, much less than the A’s offer, some other plans came into play.
The Mets offered the same deal to Severino, similar to Frankie Montas. After missing out on Severino, they signed Montas for the same $34 million. Perhaps Severino referred to this as the Mets’ other plan. “At the beginning, I was shocked,” Severino said. “But in the end, I knew that it was business.”
The New York chapter for Severino started with the Yankees, where he played his first eight seasons. The 2x All-Star finished the 2023 season with a 6.65 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 89.1 innings. Before 2024, Severino signed with the Mets as a free agent. With an 11-7 record, 3.91 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, and 161 strikeouts in 182 innings pitched, he scored big for the Mets. Montas played with the Reds in 2024 before getting traded to the Brewers in the second half. For the Reds, he posted a 4-8 record with a 5.01 ERA across 19 starts. For the Brewers, he posted a 3–3 record and 4.55 ERA with 70 strikeouts across 57+1⁄3 innings pitched. Is he better than Severino? Not much. It proves that the Mets opted for a short-term deal with a smaller amount and did not include Severino in their long-term plans.
Mets’ underwhelming rotation sparks concerns
The Mets’ starting rotation did not unfold as expected, with Montas suffering a high-grade lat strain, which will keep him out of action for eight weeks. Without Montas, the team now has Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson, with Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn as depth. Even after making a huge splash this offseason, there isn’t a well-known ace in the rotation. Moreover, the Mets have previously shown that spending a lot of money does not always translate into winning, as their lavish $346 million payroll in 2023 only produced a dismal 75-87 record. Could another expensive yet disappointing season be in the making?
The Mets are currently leading the NL East with a 9-4 record. Thus, it is too early to draw conclusions about their season. However, their pitching staff’s ongoing performance is scary enough. Senga had an injury-ridden 2024 and is yet to find his rhythm this season. Currently, he is standing with a 1-1 record with a 1.80 ERA and 12 SOs from 2 games played. Thus, he needs time to regain his form. Holmes, a former closer, started for the Mets for the first time since 2018. Result? 1-1 record with a 4.30 ERA compared to his 3.14 ERA from last year.
The Mets also signed Max Kranick this year with high hopes. He currently holds a 1-0 record and five strikeouts. The series final against the Marlins on 2nd April showed how Kranick struggled with only one strikeout. Given the current state of the Mets’ pitching lineup, let’s hope Montas returns to the mound soon.
It would be worth watching Severino excelling in the Sutter Park. Hopefully, the Mets can also turn the tables with their pitching. The coming months will reveal whether letting Severino go was a sound business decision for the Mets.
The post $67M Former Yankees All-Star Pitcher Offered Mets Discounted $40M Deal but Steve Cohen “Had Other Plans”: Report appeared first on EssentiallySports.