Mets begin rotation rebuild with offers to Sean Manaea, Luis Severino
Luis Severino of the Mets is removed from Game 3 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Citi Field on Oct. 16. Credit: Jim McIsaac
SAN ANTONIO — For starters, the Mets need starters.
They want to add “multiple” starting pitchers for 2025, David Stearns said, declining to get more specific as they set out to rebuild their rotation for a second time in as many offseasons.
The Mets began that project Monday by offering new contracts — the one-year qualifying offer — to lefthander Sean Manaea and righthander Luis Severino, both of whom have expressed interest in returning.
“Multiple is what I’m going for. How many multiples, I don’t know yet,” Stearns, the president of baseball operations, said at the start of the general managers’ meetings. “We talked about this last offseason too: You can build pitching staffs in very different ways. And you can do it via adding starting pitching and going for length at the front end of games. We can structure our bullpen a little bit differently next year where you’ve got more multiple-inning options that can eat up innings.
“But certainly we need to find some innings. And a part of that is going to be adding to the starting rotation.”
The qualifying offer is a one-year deal worth $21.05 million — the average of the top 125 salaries from the previous season, as calculated by MLB.
Manaea, Severino and Pete Alonso, who also received the qualifying offer, have until Nov. 19 to accept or decline it. Any player who accepts is back with his club at that predetermined rate. Any player who declines it remains a free agent, and if he signs elsewhere, his previous team receives an extra draft pick as compensation for losing a top player. A player and team are free to continue to negotiate multiyear deals while the qualifying offer is out (and after it is declined).
Alonso, looking at a low-nine-figure deal, and Manaea, who is likely to get a multiyear commitment after the best year of his career, were givens to get the qualifying offer. Severino, the ex-Yankee who put together a full season for the first time since 2018, wasn’t as obvious.
“He had a great year. We want him back,” Stearns said. “This is the first step in that process. We’ll see where it goes.”
Severino said last month of his previous strong preference to stay in New York: “I gotta think first what is best for my family. At the end, I want to compete. I want to be on a team that wants to win a World Series.”
The Mets’ starter holdovers include Kodai Senga and David Peterson, plus Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn (who might not be ready for the start of the season because of recent back surgery) and Jose Butto.
Notably, the Mets don’t have an ace — a bona fide, no-doubt, top-of-the-rotation arm — in that group. The free-agent crop is headlined by Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell.
“We’re seeking to build another successful rotation, however that occurs. And you can do it in a variety of different ways,” Stearns said. “Having a horse at the front end of your rotation always helps. I think Sean served that this year. He had a heck of a year. There were points during this year where Sevy did that for us. So you need starting pitchers to pitch well.
“I don’t know that I’m going to go into ‘it has to be the name-brand ace,’ but you certainly need starting pitchers who can carry the load for you.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
