Metz rejects Maton’s offer and makes qualifying offers to Alonso, Manea and Severino.

NEW YORK — In their first set of major business decisions this offseason, the New York Mets declined the 2025 contract option on reliever Phil Maton and made $21.05 million qualifying offers to starters Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.

Mayton became a free agent after the Mets declined his $7,775,000 option in favor of a $250,000 buyout.

New York also made a $21.05 million qualifying offer to first baseman Pete Alonso, which was long expected. Alonso, Manea and Severino have until November 19th at 4:00 pm EST to accept the one-year offer.

If they do, they’ll be under contract with the Mets through 2025. If they opt out and sign elsewhere, their new team would have to forfeit a draft pick and New York would receive at least one draft pick as compensation.

Severino may be the most likely candidate to be accepted. 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 seasons in the major leagues. all over the city with the New York Yankees. .

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and only 13 of 131 offers were accepted.

Manaea declined his $13.5 million free agent option for the third straight offseason. The lefty 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 giving up the arm slot midway through the season, he became the Mets’ most effective starting pitcher and went 6–2 with a 3.09 ERA the rest of the way.

Manaea was also 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 salary of $6.25 million.

The 31-year-old right-hander struggled in the postseason, however, going 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA in six appearances. He gave up four home runs, 11 hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings.

In addition, the Mets requested right-hander Kevin Herget from the Milwaukee Brewers and infielder Luis De Los Santos from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lefties Matt Gage and Joey Lucchesi and outfielder DJ Stewart were immediately sent to Triple-A Syracuse. Lucchesi and Stewart chose free agency.