Let’s simply put the headline up straight away. Luis Severino is now an Athletic:
BREAKING: Proper-hander Luis Severino and the A’s are in settlement on a three-year, $67 million contract, sources inform ESPN. It’s the largest assure within the historical past of the A’s franchise. And even with the qualifying provide hooked up, Severino bought nicely over market expectations.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2024
Now this is an fascinating free agent signing. The A’s simply signed the second-biggest deal of the offseason up to now, and the most important in franchise historical past. They’ve one different participant with a assured contract on the staff – and that’s lefty reliever T.J. McFarland, making $1.8 million in 2025. This can be a sea change by way of how the staff operates, so let’s discuss why they did it and the methods it might succeed or fail.
First issues first: The A’s might use some pitching. They had been higher than you’d assume in 2024 – they gained 19 extra video games than their dispiriting 2023 marketing campaign. Three totally different A’s hitters – Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and JJ Bleday – eclipsed three wins above alternative, the primary time that had occurred for the reason that staff shipped out Matt Olson and Matt Chapman. All three of these guys are younger and underneath staff management for some time. Shea Langeliers and Zack Gelof each appear like good on a regular basis gamers. Jacob Wilson is an intriguing prime prospect. If it weren’t for the general John Fisher stink of the franchise, this lineup would really feel mighty tantalizing.
That pleasure doesn’t lengthen to the beginning rotation – or a minimum of it didn’t earlier than right now. JP Sears was the staff’s “ace” – however solely by the method of elimination. He threw 180 2/3 innings of 4.38 ERA, 4.71 FIP competence, the sort of numbers which may get you demoted to swingman on a playoff staff. That was within the cavernous confines of the Oakland Coliseum, not in bandbox Sutter Well being Park, and Sears is a fly ball-oriented pitcher. Issues bought dicier from there; Sears plus Joey Estes, Mitch Spence, and J.T. Ginn would make for probably the most nameless prime 4 within the majors.
Severino may not be a capital-A ace anymore, however he’s a dependable pitcher who simply accomplished a rousing comeback 12 months with the Mets, pitching a full season for the primary time since 2018 and delivering stable leads to the method. His stuff improved because the 12 months wore on, although his stamina didn’t fairly comply with go well with; regardless of a lackluster full-season strikeout charge, he appeared way more like his previous self by the top of the 12 months. His 11.1% second-half swinging strike charge is strictly equal to his profession mark, an encouraging signal for a man with loads of expertise however a scary damage historical past.
It’s not arduous to see how that can profit the A’s. He’s their finest pitcher straight away, and he’s even good in a manner that ought to play nicely in a small stadium. There are loads of strikeouts and grounders in his recreation, and the sinker he launched in 2024 appears to be like like an excellent addition to his arsenal. He’s now sinker/four-seamer/sweeper towards righties and extra balanced towards lefties, utilizing his glorious changeup as an equalizing software. It’s an exceedingly fashionable pitch combine, and nothing in any respect like his final full season with the Yankees, when he threw greater than 50% four-seamers to everybody.
The dream end result for the A’s is a full season of, say, 3.50-ERA ball. The dream can be that he’ll deliver a bit of identify recognition to a franchise sorely missing in it. Rooker is superior and a social media darling, however that is the staff’s first 12 months in a brand new metropolis, and Severino is likely to be the one participant on the staff {that a} informal baseball fan has heard of (give or take Mason Miller, the rationale I’ve centered on the rotation as an alternative of the complete pitching employees when speaking about how the A’s want to enhance).
I’m unsure which of those issues extra. The staff remains to be a protracted shot to make the playoffs in 2024, however maybe much less of a protracted shot than you would possibly anticipate. That hitting core isn’t any joke. The potential minor league reinforcements are intriguing. There are a number of holes within the roster – third base and left discipline, simply to call a couple of – that might be rapidly patched at cheap charges given the latest development of bat-first veterans in free company. The massive holdup was all the time going to be pitching, and Severino is a pleasant begin towards fixing it. If the A’s are honest of their need to extend payroll to roughly $100 million, he gained’t be the final starter they signal both.
Concerning the cash: This can be a lot greater than each the group and I anticipated Severino to get. I used to be decrease on him even in comparison with consensus, anticipating a three-year, $39 million deal, and the group got here in at three years and $48 million. Pitching has been in excessive demand up to now this 12 months, with each single deal coming in greater than our estimates, however this one stands out even there. On this case, although, I believe I perceive why: The vacation spot issues.
Does a serious league free agent, one used to the trimmings of massive league life, need to reside in Sacramento and play in a Triple-A stadium for 81 video games a 12 months? Gamers are clearly keen to – the majors are the majors – however should you’re already generationally rich and in whole management of the place you play, the A’s need to be towards the underside of the desirability listing. Their stadium saga is a nationwide punchline. The fanbase they only left staged reverse boycotts. Given equivalent contract gives, I can’t think about many gamers would choose the A’s, notably given California’s state tax regime.
The answer: Pay extra money! For my part, that’s what the A’s did right here. Tons of contenders certainly reached out to Severino. He’s in the identical broad group as Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas, and Michael Wacha (who signed an extension quite than hit free company): helpful arms who can begin a playoff recreation for you. Offers like that always come right down to finest match – except one staff gives much more cash than the remainder. In different phrases, the Athletics made Severino a proposal he couldn’t refuse.
In that sense, it is likely to be an overpay, however it’s a essential one. Somebody needed to be the primary free agent within the door, and I’m positively not counting McFarland, a 35-year-old journeyman with 0.9 profession WAR. Earlier than signing Severino, the A’s had a projected payroll of $34 million for 2025. Heck, they only signed the most important contract in franchise historical past, and we nonetheless venture them for the bottom payroll within the majors subsequent 12 months by $13 million. I believe the staff would have gotten in hassle – precise, risk-of-monetary-penalty hassle – with the league if it had so overtly flouted free company.
Along with a pleasant payday, Severino bought an decide out after the second 12 months of his deal. That’s helpful to him on a number of fronts. If he continues to develop into his new pitch combine and turns again the clock to 2018 by way of outcomes, he’s younger sufficient to signal one other profitable multi-year deal after the 2026 season. If the A’s are an absolute catastrophe and he’s not having enjoyable taking part in there, he can all the time bail after two years quite than stick it out for all three. These are each helpful escape valves, and player-friendly choices appear to be a good way for the A’s to entice extra gamers to signal.
I’m not prepared to present a remaining opinion on this one till I see the remainder of the staff’s offseason plans. However provisionally, I really like this. The A’s had been higher in 2024 than most individuals realized. They actually need to start out getting higher quickly in the event that they need to keep away from being a punchline all through their Sacramento tenure, and even into their eventual transfer to Las Vegas. They bought a star with identify recognition to placed on prime of their rotation and splash on banners throughout two cities, they usually did it in a manner that builds for each 2025 and the longer term. Two thumbs up on this one up to now. The one bummer is that the A’s might have used a deal like this final 12 months in Oakland, however higher late than by no means.
