A NY Mets free agent other than Jose Iglesias they'll miss in 2025

Jose Iglesias will be very missed by New York Mets fans. Not only was he a sparkplug in the Mets’ line-up during the second half of the season, but the energy he brought, both on and off the field, with his performance of his very own song, “OMG,” will forever leave a lasting impact on Mets’ fans. 

A reunion between Jose and the Mets seems unlikely. But while Mets fans will sorely miss Iglesias, there is another former Mets player they’ll also miss. That player is starting pitcher Luis Severino. Severino signed a one-year deal with the Mets last offseason but then went on to sign with the Athletics on a three-year contract worth $67 million.

Severino pitched to a respectable 3.91 ERA, 4.21 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP. His peripherals sat right around league average. He struck out 21.4% of the batters he faced, with a walk rate of 7.9%. Home runs were not a huge issue either, with a 1.14 HR/9 ratio. However, Severino stood out when it came to limiting quality contact. He was in the 88th percentile of exit velocity at 87.1 MPH and the 82nd percentile of barrel percentage at 5.7%.

ERA estimators did not pin him as a huge overperformer either. Severino ended the year with a 3.88 xERA, 4.12 xFIP, and 4.22 SIERA. But Severino still has some room for improvement. The former crosstown rival Cy Young finalist saw his Stuff+ go from 103 between 2022 and 2023 to 108 last season. His ability to induce soft contact at a well above-average rate could help him limit home runs better moving forward.

Severino’s numbers may not stand out on paper, but his 2024 represented his first fully healthy season since 2019. Severino made 31 starts and pitched a total of 182 innings. He failed to pitch at least five innings on just three occasions and made it through six frames 18 times. The Mets could use that sort of stability in their rotation right now.

Mets fans may have already started feeling the absence of Luis Severino.

Frankie Montas hasn’t been healthy or productive since the Oakland Athletics traded him at the 2022 deadline. He will now miss upwards of the next eight weeks. The Mets are also relying on Clay Holmes to successfully go from closer to starting pitcher. However, if Montas’ injury lingers or Holmes struggles, the Mets are left in a tough spot.

Tylor Megill is likely the next in line. He showed some potential in 2024 but does not have a great track record overall. Past that, however, are Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn. Alternatively, the Mets could call upon top prospect Brandon Sproat, but he is their only MLB-ready top pitching prospect. Blake Tidwell struggled at Triple-A last season, while Jonah Tong has only tossed 9.1 innings at Double-A, and Nolan McLean has also yet to pitch above Binghamton.

Even if Severino only put up league-average numbers again in 2025, his recent showing of durability would have likely given the Mets and fans a larger vote of confidence over the frequently injured Montas or attempting to make a two-time all-star closer a starting pitcher, especially given the lack of quality depth. The Mets have a quality 1-3 with Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Sean Manaea, but the back half is shaky at best, and Severino would have been a good rotation anchor to slot in one of the last two spots.