New Athletics ace Luis Severino had his introductory press conference on Friday, just one day after signing a franchise record-setting three-year contract worth up to $67 million with an opt-out after the second season.
The 30-year-old righty focused on the Athletics’ pool of young talent when discussing what convinced him to move to Sacramento and recalled what he thought of the team while playing with the New York Mets during the 2024 season.
“When we had these Zoom meetings, I told [Athletics general manager David Forst], ‘When they played us in New York, this team looked like the 2017-2018 A’s’; a team that got to the playoffs, a young team that was hungry to go into the field and play winning baseball,” Severino said. “I’m excited to be part of this team and part of an organization. I think we’re going to head in a good direction from now on.”
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The 2024 Athletics took two of three against Severino’s Mets at Citi Field in mid-August. The wins came amid the Athletics' 31-22 second-half stretch which saw right-fielder Lawrence Butler -- except in that series -- designated hitter Brent Rooker and catcher Shea Langeliers flip baseball upside down.
Severino liked what he saw from the 69-93 Athletics and, while speaking with reservedness, expects to be somewhat of a leader, whether with his voice or skillset, in a clubhouse where the average age was 26.8 in 2024.
“If they need me, I’m going to be that leader,” Severino said. “I mean, I’m not going to be bossing guys around. I’m just going to let my talent talk. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to compete, help out. If they need me, I’m going to be out there for anything they need.”
Severino’s new pitching staff could use his mentorship.
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The Athletics currently have young arms such as Joey Estes, Luis Medina, Joe Boyle, J.T. Ginn slated to compete for rotational opportunities, with 2024 AL All-Star closer Mason Miller in the bullpen, and all are “hungry” without any postseason experience.
Severino has posted a 4.62 ERA with 57 strikeouts over 14 playoff games with the big-market New York Yankees and Mets. Those aren't the best numbers but he did allow just three hits -- while surrendering four walks and a pair of earned runs -- against the future champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 2024 NLCS.
Being one of few elders in the room naturally bears responsibility. But the real pressure comes from Severino’s contract. Outside of current free agent pitcher Ross Stripling, who made $9.25 million last season, no player on Oakland’s final club earned more than $3 million -- Severino makes a bit more than that.
“I hope it does,” Forst said about the record-setting deal being a statement to MLB. “We’ve spent the last couple years trying to make improvements incrementally. We obviously improved 19 games over where we were in ‘23 (50-112) and feel like this is a good, young team; a team without a lot of experience, but a lot of talent. And we certainly came into this offseason feeling like we wanted to make something of a statement, coming to a new city, a new ballpark.
"We’ve sent plans to players so they can see what we’re building. We’re doing the best we can to make this a Major League facility. We’ve embraced it. The fact Luis is here today hopefully sends a message around the game.”
The A’s perenially are last in payroll rankings. Severino’s average annual value of $22.33 million not only sticks out like somebody cold in the dog days of a Sacramento summer but organically puts pressure on all parties involved and the on-the-field results that will ensue, especially when considering Severino’s lengthy injury history, which wasn't an issue last season.
But what matters is, the Athletics are trying. Plus, it’s up to Severino to decide how important being the Athletics’ highest-paid player in franchise history is. And, spoiler alert: He only cares about the positives, and there are $67 million of them.
“For me, it’s meant a lot,” Severino said. “It’s meant a lot for my family. I thank the A’s for giving me the opportunity to be here.
“It’s the same pressure that I have every year, you know? [I’ll] go out there and compete, I’m going to give my 100 percent and I’m going to be the best pitcher, person and teammate I can be to help everybody be better. I’m excited to see what we can do. And at the end, it’s about playing baseball.”
Severino made it clear he is “excited” to play for the Athletics.
From afar, he appreciated what the franchise was doing on the field. Severino was eager to reunite with his old Yankees teammate (2017-22), Miguel Andújar, who helped convince the pitcher to leave the Big Apple for the Golden State’s capital with a pitch about the family-like, energetic atmosphere in the Athletics clubhouse.
Severino even was -- is -- intrigued by the renovations underway at Sutter Health Park, initially only the home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and the pending “two-level clubhouse” prototype he never has seen before.
“This is an exciting day for the A’s [and] an exciting introduction for us to the city of Sacramento,” Forst said. “We’re excited to have a pitcher of Luis’ caliber here, joining us for our first year in Sutter Health Ballpark. … This is our first big acquisition, a pitcher with a lot of experience -- postseason experience -- [and] the leadership Luis will bring to our staff is something we talked a lot about.
“Just super excited for our young, improving, up-and-coming team to have someone like Luis leading the pitching staff.”
