ESPN: Yankees starting pitcher signs a $67 million contract with an unexpected AL West contender.
Luis Severino, the former starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, is back on the move over a year after leaving the Bronx for Queens. Severino has earned the highest salary of his career after assisting the New York Mets in their 2024 run to the National League Championship Series. “BREAKING: The Athletics and right-hander Luis Severino have agreed to a three-year, $67 million contract,” Jeff Passan of ESPN said on Thursday. “It is the biggest guarantee in the A’s franchise’s history. And Severino exceeded market expectations even with the qualifying offer attached.
It is unexpected how much the A’s paid for the former Yankees pitcher, given that MLB Trade Rumors predicted Severino would get a three-year deal worth $51 million this winter.
“Luis Severino’s deal with the A’s includes an opt-out after the second season, per sources,” Passan said. “The A’s looked for pitching this winter and found one of the finest available in Severino, whose career earnings already exceed $130 million. Pitching fees for free agents are still hefty. The A’s seem prepared to drastically raise their salary, even if it means overpaying for available assets, even though they won’t have a home field in 2025.
It will be intriguing to watch how the markets for the other starting pitchers develop after Severino’s historic contract with the A’s. Will other pitchers be able to negotiate lucrative contracts with the two-time All-Star’s recent signing?
