Why Did the A’s Spend Big on Luis Severino?

Yesterday, the Athletics gave out the largest contract in the history of their franchise, in what was arguably the most surprising signing of the offseason thus far. Luis Severino is the pitcher who cashed in, signing a three-year, $67 million deal.

For Severino, this represents an outstanding contract, coming off the heels of a season where he had to sign a one-year, $14 million prove-it deal with the Mets after pitching to a 6.65 ERA for the Yankees in 2023.

One year later, Severino cashes in on a season where he pitched to a 3.91 ERA over 182 innings pitched and helped the Mets reach Game 6 of the NLCS. The 30-year-old was extended a qualifying offer, and some thought he should take it.

Now we now Severino made the right decision, as he has exceeded the value of the $21.05 million qualifying offer, and has done so over three years. While the intrigue of pitching in Sacramento may not be there for most free agents, Severino got an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The question though, is why are the A’s all of a sudden being aggressive in free agency, and what is it about Severino that made him their target?

Why is Now the Time to Spend?

Die-hard Oakland Athletics fans have to be a bit confused by the timing of this signing. Owner John Fischer waited until the team was officially out of Oakland to commit the largest contract ever to a free agent. Optically, that’s a really bad look.

With that said, the Athletics are coming off season where they were much better than expected.

After losing 112 games in 2023, the A’s improved by 19 wins, winning 69 games in 2024. Mason Miller was the A’s player who got the most notoriety, as their closer made the All-Star game for the first time. Meanwhile Brent Rooker was one of the best hitters in baseball.

Rooker’s 112 RBIs was the fourth-highest mark in MLB, and his 39 home runs put him in a three-way tie for fifth-most. With a 164 wRC+, Rooker was a top-10 hitter in baseball.

Outfielders Lawerence Butler (130 wRC+) and JJ Bleday (120 wRC+) each enjoyed breakout seasons, and Shea Langeliers blasted 29 home runs for the catcher position. The A’s have a budding young core in their lineup, they just desperately need pitching, particularly in their rotation.

The A’s rotation posted a 4.76 ERA collectively in 2024, which ranked 26th in MLB. Their 7.06 K/9 rate was the second-worst mark in all of baseball.

Adding a quality starting pitcher like Severino gives the A’s a foundational piece that they will hope they can build the rest of their rotation around

Why Did Severino Choose the A’s?

The answer to why Severino chose the Athletics is pretty simple. Money.

There is a good chance that Severino is earning at least $5 million more to sign with the A’s rather than taking a deal with another club. He also gets the benefit of being the man for this staff, where he likely will be their Opening Day starter and can continue to build off of his standout 2024 season.

Severino’s contract includes an opt-out after the second season, where he could hit the market again heading into his age-33 season. Pitchers are getting paid deeper and deeper into their 30s now, so there is every chance Severino can cash in again in 24 months.

There is also the chance that Severino gets traded at some point across his tenure with the A’s, where he can find himself on a contender anyway.

And that is assuming the A’s don’t have one of those seasons we have seen in the past, where they wildly outperform expectations and become contenders themselves.

Ultimately this is a great deal for Severino in terms of the contract, and the A’s get a pitcher who just cleared 180 innings pitched, who they hope can be their top starter and innings-eater in 2025.