Former Yankee Luis Severino agrees to 1-year, $13 million deal with Mets: source
NEW YORK — Luis Severino is moving across town. The former Yankee has agreed to a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Mets, a source confirmed on Wednesday. The right-handed pitcher spent the past eight seasons with the Bombers and will join new manager Carlos Mendoza in his departure to Flushing.
The two-time All-Star has had a roller coaster of a career and last season was certainly a low-point. The 29-year-old posted a 6.65 ERA in 19 games with the Bombers and was even relegated to the bullpen at one point due to his struggles.
Injuries have played a large role in the starter’s career as he hasn’t made more than 19 starts in a season since 2018. However, when Severino is healthy, he has proved to be a frontline starter.
In 141 career games with the Yanks, the right-hander posted a 3.79 ERA with the best season of his career coming in 2017 — where he posted a 2.98 ERA and finished third in Cy Young award voting.
The starter told the New York Daily News in May of 2023 that he “would love to be [with the Yankees] the rest of my life.”
Outside of troubles staying on the field, Severino’s tenure in pinstripes wasn’t always smooth sailing — especially towards the end. The Yanks and their starter had multiple public disagreements over the handling of his injuries.
After Severino suffered a low-grade lat strain at the conclusion of spring training last season, he expressed frustration that the Yanks were slow-playing his rehab as he anticipated missing only a few starts. He didn’t make his season debut until May 21 against the Cincinnati Reds.
“I love the Yankees,” he said on May 9. “Just been having some miscommunication with some training staff and the people that make the decisions about where to start with all my pitches and all that.”
The pitcher was even more frustrated in 2022 when the Bombers placed him on the 60-day injured list due to a lat strain when he didn’t feel it was necessary.
Now, Severino’s time in the Bronx is firmly in the past as he will join a rotation led by Kodai Senga at Citi Field. The Mets will seemingly be in the market for multiple starting pitchers with a staff that was depleted at last season’s trade deadline — shipping out Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Signing the former Yankee is likely just the beginning of David Stearns filling out a capable rotation as the Winter Meetings are on deck beginning Dec. 4 in Nashville, Tenn.