Let’s simply put the headline up instantly. 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 connected, Severino bought properly over market expectations.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2024
Now that is an attention-grabbing free agent signing. The A’s simply signed the second-biggest deal of the offseason to this point, and the biggest in franchise historical past. They’ve one different participant with a assured contract on the workforce – and that’s lefty reliever T.J. McFarland, making $1.8 million in 2025. It is a sea change when it comes to how the workforce 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 suppose 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 substitute, the primary time that had occurred for the reason that workforce shipped out Matt Olson and Matt Chapman. All three of these guys are younger and beneath workforce 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 prolong to the beginning rotation – or a minimum of it didn’t earlier than as we speak. JP Sears was the workforce’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 workforce. 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 essentially 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 yr with the Mets, pitching a full season for the primary time since 2018 and delivering strong leads to the method. His stuff improved because the yr wore on, although his stamina didn’t fairly comply with go well with; regardless of a lackluster full-season strikeout charge, he regarded way more like his previous self by the top of the yr. His 11.1% second-half swinging strike charge is precisely equal to his profession mark, an encouraging signal for a man with loads of expertise however a scary harm historical past.
It’s not onerous to see how that may profit the A’s. He’s their finest pitcher instantly, and he’s even good in a approach that ought to play properly in a small stadium. There are a whole lot of strikeouts and grounders in his recreation, and the sinker he launched in 2024 seems to be like a terrific addition to his arsenal. He’s now sinker/four-seamer/sweeper towards righties and extra balanced towards lefties, utilizing his wonderful changeup as an equalizing device. It’s an exceedingly trendy 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 convey a little bit identify recognition to a franchise sorely missing in it. Rooker is superior and a social media darling, however that is the workforce’s first yr in a brand new metropolis, and Severino could be the one participant on the workforce {that a} informal baseball fan has heard of (give or take Mason Miller, the rationale I’ve targeted on the rotation as a substitute of your entire pitching employees when speaking about how the A’s want to enhance).
I’m unsure which of those issues extra. The workforce continues to be an extended shot to make the playoffs in 2024, however maybe much less of an extended shot than you would possibly count on. 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 area, simply to call just a few – that could possibly be shortly patched at affordable charges given the latest pattern of bat-first veterans in free company. The large holdup was at all times 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.
In regards to the cash: It is a lot greater than each the gang 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 gang got here in at three years and $48 million. Pitching has been in excessive demand to this point this yr, with each single deal coming in larger than our estimates, however this one stands out even there. On this case, although, I feel I perceive why: The vacation spot issues.
Does a serious league free agent, one used to the trimmings of huge league life, wish to reside in Sacramento and play in a Triple-A stadium for 81 video games a yr? Gamers are clearly prepared to – the majors are the majors – however when 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 checklist. Their stadium saga is a nationwide punchline. The fanbase they only left staged reverse boycotts. Given an identical contract provides, I can’t think about many gamers would decide the A’s, significantly given California’s state tax regime.
The answer: Pay more cash! 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 usually come all the way down to finest match – except one workforce provides much more cash than the remainder. In different phrases, the Athletics made Severino a proposal he couldn’t refuse.
In that sense, it could be an overpay, nevertheless it’s a mandatory one. Somebody needed to be the primary free agent within the door, and I’m undoubtedly 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 largest contract in franchise historical past, and we nonetheless undertaking them for the bottom payroll within the majors subsequent yr by $13 million. I feel the workforce would have gotten in bother – precise, risk-of-monetary-penalty bother – with the league if it had so brazenly flouted free company.
Along with a pleasant payday, Severino bought an choose out after the second yr 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 when it comes to 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 at all times 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 provide a ultimate opinion on this one till I see the remainder of the workforce’s offseason plans. However provisionally, I like this. The A’s had been higher in 2024 than most individuals realized. They really want to start out getting higher quickly in the event that they wish 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, and so they did it in a approach that builds for each 2025 and the longer term. Two thumbs up on this one to this point. The one bummer is that the A’s might have used a deal like this final yr in Oakland, however higher late than by no means.
