A’s make free-agent splash in offseason, signing pitcher ahead of first year in Sacramento
The Athletics are making a rare free agent splash ahead of their first season in Sacramento.
The club and free-agent starting pitcher Luis Severino have agreed to terms on a three-year, $67 million contract, a league source confirmed to The Sacramento Bee. It’s believed to be the largest guaranteed payout in team history. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the agreement Thursday morning.
The A’s confirmed the signing was official Friday morning.
The deal would surpass the club’s previous most lucrative contract it gave out to Gold Glove third baseman Eric Chavez in 2004. The club’s lack of spending was a long-time sticking point for fan frustration during the team’s recent history in Oakland.
Signing the right-handed hurler is an indication the A’s want to put a competitive product on the field while they plan on playing the next three or four seasons at Sutter Health Park, a Triple-A stadium in West Sacramento, before their planned move to a new ballpark on the Las Vegas strip in 2028. The team’s tenure in Oakland ended in September after 57 seasons.
Severino, 30, is coming off a 11-7 season with the New York Mets when he made 31 starts and threw 182 innings, the most since finishing in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting in 2017 and 2018 with the New York Yankees, when he was considered one of the best young starting pitchers in baseball. The right-hander had a 3.91 ERA and struck out 161 batters in 2024.
Injuries derailed Severino’s following his best seasons in the Bronx. He played in just one game in 2019 due to a lat strain and later required Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss 2020 and most of 2021. He struggled with the Yankees in 2022 and 2023, posting a 4.80 ERA in 38 appearances before signing with the cross-town New York Mets.
Severino could opt out of the contract after the second season, according to ESPN’s reporting.
The A’s last year (69-93) finished third worst in the American League allowing 4.72 runs per game, while their starters ranked 26th among 30 MLB teams with a 4.76 ERA.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 12:33 PM.
