Why Antoan Richardson left the Mets for Braves

Why didn’t Richardson return to the Mets? He revealed, via Mike Puma of the New York Post, that there was a difference in his value, specifically his salary.

“I had a proposed salary with (benefits) included,” the first base coach said. “The Mets had a proposed salary with (benefits) included. We differed on the salary part of it.”

According to Mets insider Andy Martino of SNY, New York did try hard to bring Richardson back. However, "there was no world in which they were going to be able to retain him".

Richardson also addressed reports of him not wanting to be back with the Mets. Even when speaking to other teams, he kept the possibility open that he would return to New York to continue in the same role he has held.

"This narrative of me not wanting to be a Met, that's kind of bogus. Once I was allowed to speak with other teams, I remained open to a return to Queens until the end, while also focusing on finding an opportunity that was more in line with what I was looking for,” Richardson said, via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X.

This is a huge loss for New York for several reasons. He was lauded for the work he did as the baserunning instructor, getting career seasons out of several players when it came to stolen bases.

Juan Soto, never considered the most fleet-footed player, swiped a career-high 38 bases, which led the National League. He was caught only four times and a lot of credit should be given to Richardson for the aid he provided.

This could become a major issue for the Mets because of the intimate knowledge that Richardson and Hefner have of the current roster as well.

It is fair to assume that they can scheme up plans to neutralize players on the team more than most people, an invaluable tool for Atlanta to have heading into a 2026 campaign. The Braves are also in a similar position as the Mets, as they look to get back on track after an underwhelming 2025 season.