The Athletics made some waves this past offseason by splurging on their rotation ahead of their move to a temporary ballpark in Sacramento. Just months after signing one of the top free-agent starters, it appears the club is now ready to move him.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Athletics “can’t wait to trade” Luis Severino amid his bashing of the club’s ballpark. While it’s rare for top free-agent signings to be traded just months after agreeing to a multi-year deal, Nightengale now believes it may be a surprise if Severino remains with the A’s in August.
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- Luis Severino stats (ESPN): 4.83 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 68-31 K-BB ratio in 100.2 innings
Severino, a 31-year-old righty, has proven to be a disastrous free-agent signing for the Athletics. He entered MLB games today ranked 66th in ERA and 58th in WHIP. He’s also allowed a .264 batting average and .719 OPS to opponents this season.
Severino only made his standing within the organization worse this week. Speaking to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, he was critical of the club’s ballpark in Sacramento. Those comments clearly struck a nerve within the front office.
“It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch. It’s the same mentality we have, to go out there and try to do our best. But it’s not been great for us.”
Athletics starting pitcher Luis Severino on the club’s ballpark in Sacramento (via The Athletic)
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However, Severino has a reason to complain. Across 10 starts at home in Sacramento this season, he has allowed a .300 batting average (71 hits) and holds a 6.79 ERA (43 earned runs) with 7 home runs surrendered across 57 innings pitched. In comparison, he holds a 2.27 ERA with a .211 batting average allowed in 43.2 innings on the road.
- Luis Severino contract (Spotrac): $20 million salary (2025), $25 million salary (2026), $22 million player option for 2027
Notably, Severino’s contract does include a $500,000 trade assignment bonus that could be a slight factor in a trade. It’s also unclear how many clubs would be interested in taking on the future salary he’s owed, considering the inconsistency throughout his career.
While the right-handed pitcher’s contract might complicate a trade, the number of playoff contenders in the market for starting pitching means there will be a trade market for him. While Severino is a potential rebound candidate if moved to a better club, the Athletics might not get a strong return for him.
