The Athletics have not been known for spending in free agency.
A temporary move to Sacramento, and a minor league ballpark, pushed at least one free agent away and more than half of the players polled by The Athletic said the A’s also have a bad reputation. As such, little was expected from the club in the offseason.
Instead, the A’s landed a surprising free agent.
Jeff Passan from ESPN reported that the A’s have signed pitcher Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract. The deal includes an opt-out after the second season. This is the largest free agent contract in A’s franchise history, surpassing the three-year, $30 million deal given to Billy Butler in 2015.
After a miserable and injury plagued 2023 season, Severino signed a one-year deal with the Mets in an attempt to rebuild his value. He proved to be a bargain, posting a 3.91 ERA and a 1.242 WHIP over his 182 innings, striking out 161 batters with 60 walks. Although he did not pitch at quite the same level as he had with the Yankees, Severino was a solid middle of the rotation arm.
Severino will now step in as the staff ace for the rebuilding Athletics. While J.P. Sears, Joey Estes and J.T. Ginn showed promise, general manager David Forst said pitching would be one of the A’s focal points in free agency. The expectation was that the A’s would target pitchers such as Walker Buehler, who are looking at a short term contract to prove themselves.
Signing Severino partially fulfills one promise the A’s had made. Bob Nightengale from USA Today reported that the A’s planned to increase their payroll to at least $100 million, a franchise record. Severino could be the beginning of a surprisingly active offseason in Sacramento.
