NEW YORK (AP) — In their first set of major business decisions this offseason, the New York Mets declined a 2025 contract option on reliever Phil Maton and made $21.05 million qualifying offers Monday to starters Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.
Maton became a free agent after the Mets turned down his $7,775,000 option in favor of a $250,000 buyout.
New York also gave a $21.05 million qualifying offer to first baseman Pete Alonso, which had long been expected. Alonso, Manaea and Severino have until 4 p.m. EST on Nov. 19 to accept the one-year offer.
If they do, they will be under contract with the Mets for 2025. If they decline and sign elsewhere, their new team must forfeit draft picks and New York would receive at least one draft pick as compensation.
Severino might be the most likely candidate to accept. The 30-year-old right-hander went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts during his first season with the Mets, earning a $13 million salary in 2024 after spending his first eight big league seasons across town with the New York Yankees.
Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 13 of 131 offers have been accepted.
Manaea declined his $13.5 million option to become a free agent for the third consecutive offseason. The left-hander agreed to a contract in January that included a $14.5 million salary for 2024, and the 32-year-old went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts, striking out 184 and walking 63 in 181 2/3 innings.
After dropping his arm slot in midseason, he became the Mets’ most effective starting pitcher and went 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA the rest of the way.
Manaea also was 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA in four playoff starts spanning 19 innings as the Mets made a surprise run to the National League Championship Series before losing to the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Maton went 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save in 31 appearances during his first season with New York, which acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 9. He was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in a career-high 71 games overall and had a $6.25 million salary.
The 31-year-old right-hander struggled in the postseason, though, going 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA in six outings. He gave up four home runs, 11 hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings.
In addition, the Mets claimed right-hander Kevin Herget off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, and infielder Luis De Los Santos off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Left-handers Matt Gage and Joey Lucchesi, and outfielder DJ Stewart, were sent outright to Triple-A Syracuse. Lucchesi and Stewart elected free agency.
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