Three Mets free agents talk about their future: Do they want to stay?

LOS ANGELES – There was a much different feeling in the Mets clubhouse on Sunday night. After being eliminated from the postseason in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium, the players had to face the reality for the first time that they might never play together again.

The Mets could look very different next season with up to 12 players heading to free agency; Phil Maton has a club option worth $7.75 million. One of those players, JD Martinez, appears to be considering the option of returning to baseball full time.

“I don't know. I'm going to go home, enjoy the time and see my daughter for the second time. I haven't held her since she was born,” Martinez said of his future. “And then just start training, put your foot down and see what happens. If something happens, it happens. If something doesn't work, it doesn't work and just go from there.

“For me, it's one of those things where I don't come back because I'm begging to come back. I'll come back because it makes sense. Ultimately, time is the most valuable thing. It has to be worth my time.”

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In his 14-year career, Martinez slashed .283/.348/.516 with 331 home runs and 1,071 RBIs. With the 2018 Red Sox, he earned six All-Star awards, three Silver Slugger Awards and a World Series trophy.

This season he declined offensively, hitting .235/.320/.406, which was his lowest slash line since the 2020 season. He still enjoyed his unique experience with the Mets.

“Yeah, these guys are great. I had a good time here,” Martinez said. “How can you not want to come back after the year we had? This is a clubhouse that is not full of egos. I've never been – I've been to a lot of clubhouses. But this clubhouse is different because I felt like everyone was a family.”

What are the prospects for two more offseason free agents?

LUIS SEVERINO

This season's performance has exceeded even Severino's own expectations. The right-hander, who was born in the Dominican Republic, has been fighting to stay healthy for years. The last time he played a full season was 2018.

In 31 regular season starts with the Mets, Severino pitched 182 innings and posted a 3.91 ERA. He then had three starts for 16 2/3 in the playoffs, where he posted a 3.24 ERA. He has reinvented himself into a sinker-ball pitcher who throws to contact and relies less on strikeouts – his 21.2% strikeout rate during the regular season was the second lowest of his career.

So what is Severino thinking as he enters free agency for the second time in as many years?

“I don’t know,” Severino said with genuine uncertainty. “Right now, when we leave tomorrow, I won't be thinking about baseball or getting a baseball for a while. I have to trust my agent and everything he’s going to do.”

With the Mets, Severino developed a close bond with his teammates, especially his locker mate Sean Manaea. Before Manaea's Game 2 against the Dodgers began, reporters spotted Severino wearing Manaea's No. 59 with black under his eyes.

Severino was also the keeper of the “OMG” sign that batters posed with after a home run. The sign hung next to his locker most of the season.

The 30-year-old right-hander has played his entire career in New York – nine MLB seasons with the Yankees and one with the Mets. How does playing in New York impact his decision-making as a free agent?

“For me, it’s about what’s best for my family first and ultimately I want to compete,” Severino said. “I want to be on a team that wants to win a World Series and that gives everything they have every time they take the field. So I have to keep that in mind.

“I think when we came here there were a lot of guys from other teams who knew how to win, who knew what it took to win, so I'll keep that in mind in the offseason as well.”

JOSE QUINTANA

Like Martinez, Quintana is uncertain about his future. Not only does he not have the stuff that major league teams look for in pitchers, but he will also be 36 years old at the start of next season.

“I think next year,” Quintana began, “I don’t know what will happen to me.”

In two seasons with the Mets, Quintana was a model of consistency. In 44 regular season starts, he posted a 3.70 ERA with a 1.26 ERA and 195 strikeouts.

This season, he stepped in when the team needed him most. During his final six regular-season starts, as the Mets pushed the Mets toward the playoffs, Quintana allowed three runs in 36 1/3 innings (0.74 ERA).

That trend continued in his first two postseason starts, where he combined to go 11 innings without an earned run. In his final postseason start against the Dodgers, he allowed five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.

While he wants to continue to call Citi Field home, Quintana can't commit to the future because it's out of his control.

“The time I spent here was great and let’s see,” Quintana said. “I feel great and want to keep doing my thing. Let’s see what the future brings.”