The Atlanta Braves were in the hunt for the NL East division crown during the 2024 regular season but ultimately had to settle for one of the two Wild Card spots as they went to the postseason for the seventh straight year.
Atlanta is expected to be in the thick of things in the NL East once again this season and, while it is still far too early to have any idea as to how this division will look at the end of the league's 162-game schedule, the Braves can take solace in the fact that it is one of their division rivals being dragged through the mud in the media by a former player rather than them.
Luis Severino wanted to return to the New York Mets this offseason so badly that he was willing to take less money and fewer years on a new deal to stay in the Big Apple. His agent informed the franchise of the terms that he would be willing to agree to sign and the pitcher was stunned by the response his agent received as the Mets wanted the right-hander to accept even less money than he was already offering to leave on the table.
"I was not in their plans,” Severino said while speaking with the media, per MLB.com.
Luis Severino talked about his free agency and said he tried to stay with the Mets and asked for less money
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 11, 2025
"I told my agent I'd stay for 2 years & $40m. What my agent told me the only offer they were going to give me was the same deal they gave [Frankie] Montas (2 years, $34m)" pic.twitter.com/DKu86SqKGb
The two-time All-Star selection had a solid 2024 campaign as a member of the Mets roster as he finished the season with a record of 11-7 in 31 starts with an ERA of 3.91 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.68-to-1. Despite this being the case, New York's front office put their feet in the ground with that number and were refusing to budge before ultimately signing Montas at that price point.
With a return to the Mets no longer on the table, Severino agreed to a three-year deal with the Athletics that includes a player option on the final year which will pay the veteran pitcher as much as $67 million over the life of the deal. While New York didn't consider Severino valuable enough to offer him the contract he desired, the Athletics let him know just how much they think of him by signing him to the largest guaranteed deal in the history of the league,
So, in summation, Severino was essentially able to have his cake and eat it too in this particular scenario as he signed for more money and years than he was asking from the Mets while also having the opportunity to share just how crazy he found their unwillingness to spend was to him.
It goes without saying that any day a Braves fan gets to point and laugh at the shortcomings of a rival like the Mets is a good day for all.