Luis Severino Says Mets 'Insulted' Him, Despite Begging to Stay

Luis Severino and the New York Mets had a good marriage in the 2024 season. They gave him a chance to redeem himself after a disastrous year with the Yankees, and Severino delivered for the Mets, to the tune of an 11-7 mark with a 3.91 ERA.

He wanted to stay, and told the Mets, after he declined their $21.05 million qualifying offer, that all they had to do was offer him a $20M salary over two years. But New York said 'No' to that, and instead offered two years for $34 million. According to insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Severino was not impressed... he was even insulted.

“For me, I think that wasn’t fair…," Severino told New York reporters Friday. “I was trying to stay with the Mets. I asked for less money to stay there but I wasn’t in their plans. At the beginning I was shocked but at the end, I knew it was business, and they need to take care of themselves.”

In the end, it certainly worked out well for Sevy, as he signed a three-year, $67 million deal with the Athletics — the largest guaranteed contract in that team's franchise history.

It's working out for both sides, actually, as the Mets lead the NL East Division at 10-5 to start the year, while Severino got his money with an exciting young team.

“I’m proud of him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He was really good for us. I had a really good relationship with him even when we were both with the Yankees. I’m proud that he got a nice contract, the work paid off.”

He actually got to face his old teammates over the weekend and tossed a fine 5.2 innings against the Mets, allowing just one run.