Luis Severino leaves Mets in free agency for the Athletics
The team formerly known as the Oakland A’s surprised just about everyone by signing former Met Luis Severino to a 3/$67 deal. It’s difficult to wrap my head around this one.
Which one is most surprising? Is it that the A’s, after years of trading stars before they got too expensive, decided to make this big of an offer to a free agent? Is it that they did it after playing their final game in Oakland, essentially making this a big FU to the fans there? Is it that Severino agreed to this deal, knowing he’d play his home games in Sacramento, which is not anyone’s idea of an ideal place to play outdoors in summer?
Or is it that a pitcher who reached league-average status last year with some good fortune got this kind of deal at all?
My take is that this is a massive overpay and I’m glad that the Mets didn’t do it.
There were people out there that thought the Mets could get Sean Manaea to return on a 3/$63 type of deal. My opinion is that Manaea is a much-better pitcher than Severino, which means he’ll get a better deal than this one.
Since the Mets extended the Qualifying Offer to Severino, they’ll get an extra draft pick for him signing elsewhere. Because of their status as a team over the Luxury Tax, that pick will come after the fourth round.
Pitching on the free agent market can get very expensive. My opinion is that Frankie Montas at 2/$34 is a much-better deal than Severino at 3/$67, despite their respective numbers in 2024. You should be paying what you think they’ll do in future years, not paying them for what they did in the past.
For what it’s worth, Steamer projects Severino to throw 177 innings and post a 4.33 ERA. It forecasts Montas to give 155 IP and have a 4.04 ERA
Clearly Severino went for the payday versus the ring potential and who could blame him? Good luck to him.
It is an overpay and I 'm good that the Mets didn't do it also.
Free Agent starting pitching is ridiculously expensive but obviously the owners can afford it.
The Mets should set their priorities in the draft for pitching. It would be cost effective.
My priorities , Manaea and Flaherty, just got more expensive. They will be overpays also. Maybe it's time to change my priorities. Maybe two other pitchers that have have something to prove would be a better route, like Stearns did with Frankie Montas. The Mets have depth starters in Butto, Blackburn, Megill, Sproat and Tidwell to take that risk.