Last summer, the New York Mets made several significant splashes in the free agency market. But they also allowed a few key players from their 2024 roster to accept free agency contracts with other teams. MLB Trade Rumors placed three former Mets in their 2024-2025 top 50 free agents, with a fourth, very important player barely being left off their top 50.
As June draws near and Memorial Day has just passed, let’s take a look at how some of the Mets’ top free agents who signed with other teams are performing thus far in 2025.
Updating Mets fans on how top departing free agents are performing with their new teams
Jose Iglesias
In the second half of the season, Jose Iglesias was a key member of the Mets’ lineup, hitting.337/.381/.448 with a 137 wRC+ through 85 games and 291 plate appearances, providing the team with good defense at second base (+2 defensive runs saved, +1 outs above average) and the hot corner (+4 DRS, +2 OAA), and adding six more hits during the postseason. The Mets signed Iglesias to a minor-league contract last offseason without realizing the kind of cultural impact he would have on the team’s fan base.
In the clubhouse as much as on the field, Iglesias made a significant contribution. After a game, he also sang his own pop song, “OMG,” which ended up serving as the team’s de facto rallying cry. Iglesias expressed desire in a reunion, but the team decided not to bring him back despite his enormous influence on the Mets as a whole.
Regretfully, Iglesias didn’t pique the curiosity of the other teams in the league. Iglesias finally signed a contract on March 5th, agreeing to yet another minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres. After hitting just.255/.307/.302 with a 78 wRC+ in 116 plate appearances with the Friars, Iglesias hasn’t been able to replicate the magic he had with the bat with the Mets the previous season. Additionally, he has been given bad ratings for both DRS and OAA at third base and middle infield.
Iglesias’ absence is felt, but the Mets appear to have made the right choice in not bringing him back. Because of his incredible hitting, fielding, and singing skills, he was one of the Mets’ most entertaining players in recent years. Interestingly, MLB Trade Rumors disagreed with Iglesias’ assessment that he was among the Mets’ top outgoing free agents.
Harrison Bader
After their CFs finished close to the bottom of the league in both DRS and OAA in 2023, the Mets signed Harrison Bader to a one-year contract to help up their center field defense. Despite having a career-low -2 DRS, Bader was a solid glove up the middle with +10 OAA. However, with only a.234/.284/.373 triple-slash and 85 wRC+, his bat was clearly deficient. With a dozen home runs and 17 stolen bags, Bader at least contributed some stolen bases and decent power.
Bader is currently having a career year with the stick after being selected by the Minnesota Twins this summer. Bader is cutting. 276/.359/.433 in 158 trips to the dish with a.352 wOBA and 129 wRC+. With the Twins, Bader has an 8.5% BB%, compared to just 4.8% when he was with the Mets. With a.157 isolated slugging percentage, his best since the 2021 season, he is also hitting for more pop.
In addition, he is playing outfield defense in one of his greatest years ever, if not the best. Bader currently leads all outfielders with +9 defensive runs saved, only surpassed by Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ceddanne Rafaela of the Boston Red Sox, who both have +10. Additionally, he ranks sixth with five OAA.
That kind of output in center field is exactly what the Mets need right now. Bader would rank third on the Mets with a fWAR of +1.4, only surpassed by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. Jose Siri, their Bader replacement, is on the injured list following a tibia fracture in the middle of April. Despite having an excellent defensive record and a successful run in May, Tyrone Taylor still has a 90 wRC+. Bader just managed to sneak into the 49th spot on MLB TR’s top 50 list.
Jose Quintana
Last season, Jose Quintana’s two-year deal with the Mets came to an end. He made 31 starts and tossed 170.1 innings with good success, making him an essential member of the Mets’ rotation. Quintana had a 4.56 FIP yet a 3.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. His peripherals, which included an 18.8% K%, an 8.8% walk rate, and a 1.16 HR/9, were not very outstanding. He placed in the 70th percentile of barrel rate (6.7%) and the 74th percentile of exit velocity (88 MPH), indicating that he at least did well in limiting harsh contact.
Despite their shared desire in a possible reunion, they decided not to sign the seasoned left-hander to a new deal. Although it took some time, Quintana finally reached an agreement on March 5 to sign a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Given that he began spring training late and was transferred to Triple-A to complete his warmup, the southpaw made his 2025 debut later than others, but his first few outings with the Brewers resembled his final season with the Mets.
Quintana’s first 34 innings of the season have yielded a 2.65 ERA, 4.54 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP. He has a comparable 8% walk rate and 18% strikeout rate. Quintana, on the other hand, has only managed to restrict strong contact with an exit velocity of 90.2 MPH and a barrel rate of 8.7%. His HR/9 has increased to 1.32 as a result of the rise in hard contact. Unfortunately for Quintana, a shoulder discomfort recently kept him out of action.
With or without Quintana, the rotation for the Mets would have been excellent. Even without well-known veterans like Frankie Montas or Sean Manaea or the appearance of elite prospects like Blade Tidwell, Nolan McLean, or Brandon Sproat, all five of their starters have made at least ten starts and have an ERA+ of 108 or above at this point. In retrospect, Quintana would have been great, but it was completely unnecessary. This past offseason, Quintana was rated as the 31st-best free agent by MLB TR.
Luis Severino
Another reliable starting pitcher in the Mets’ rotation the previous season was Luis Severino. Severino moved from the Bronx to Queens to join the Mets after playing with the NY Yankees for his first nine years in the major leagues. Overall, his first and only season with the Mets was a strong one.
Severino has his greatest numbers since 2018 with 31 starts and 182 innings thrown. The seasoned right-hander had a 3.91 ERA, 4.21 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP overall. His 1.14 HR/9 ratio, 7.9% walk rate, and 21.2% K% were all about league average. With an exit velocity of 87.1 MPH (88th percentile) and a barrel rate of 5.7% (82nd percentile), Severino outperformed Quintana in terms of limiting hard contact.
Many were startled to discover that Severino signed to a three-year, $67 million deal with the Athletics of all clubs. Severino is off to another great start, with a 4.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 3.39 FIP during his first 65.2 innings of work. Even while his strikeout percentage has dropped to just 17.1%, his walk rate has improved to 7.1%, and at 4.3%, he is in the 88th percentile of barrel rates with a mere 0.55 HR/9.
If the Mets had selected Severino for another season, he would probably be their worst starting pitcher at the moment. They would have been content with or without Severino, just like Quintana. Letting rid of two starting pitchers who made more than 30 starts for the Mets last season was undoubtedly a gamble, but it has eventually paid off. Ranking 13th on MLB TR’s top 50 list, Severino was the Mets’ highest-ranked free agent from the most recent offseason.
