Luis Severino was hoping to return to the Mets this offseason.
The hard-throwing right-hander was coming off a bounce-back campaign in which he stayed healthy for the first time in a long time and returned to the dominant form he showed during his early days with the Yankees.
The two sides had discussions on a potential reunion during the winter -- and Severino told the Mets that he’d be willing to accept a two-year deal worth $40 million to stay, but as things played out they had other plans.
The 31-year-old told reporters Friday that New York was only willing to offer him the two-year, $34 million pact that they signed Frankie Montas to this offseason, which ultimately led to them going their separate ways.
“I was told I had a chance,” Severino said. “I was trying to stay with the Mets. I asked for less money to stay there but, like I said, 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.”
While things didn’t quite go as planned, all worked out well for Severino -- as he ended up signing with the Athletics on a three-year, $67 million deal, the largest guarantee in franchise history.
“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.”
Severino received interest from numerous clubs before he signed with the A’s -- and while they aren’t exactly in the most ideal of circumstances at the moment -- he felt they were a perfect landing spot.
“The last two offseasons I’ve had a meeting with my agent and discussed what I’m looking for. At the end, [the Athletics] was the closest to what I was looking for. Having a young team that has talent and wants to go out there and play baseball.
“Last year nobody thought we were going to the playoffs and we made it. I’ve played for a lot of teams that had something to show and I feel this is one of those teams.”
The Mets will get their first look at that young and hungry team this weekend.
Severino, who has thrown six or more innings in each of his first three starts, is lined up to face Kodai Senga in the series finale on Sunday -- a tough matchup that he certainly is looking forward to.
“I'm really happy to see those guys, they were like family to me," he said. "Even though it was one year I feel like I was there for a long time -- so yeah, it's going to be fun. I’m going to bring my best, best of luck to them.”
