It’s just a matter of when the New York Mets will begin unloading talent and Luis Severino will be a big name at the deadline. While the Mets haven’t started shopping their top talent when they do, they’ll be in the “center of a lot.” One player insiders say rival teams are especially interested in is 30-year-old right-hander Luis Severino.
After eight seasons with the New York Yankees, Severino signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets this past November. Severino was once one of the top pitchers in the American League before injuries threatened to derail his career. But now that the right-hander is healthy, he has been able to turn things around with the Mets. Severino has a 3.25 ERA over 12 starts allowing five homers while striking out 58 through 72 innings.
The two-time All-Star spent the offseason refining a sinker and adding a sweeper to what is now a six-pitch arsenal. With his 51.0% ground ball rate, Severino is forcing more ground balls this year than he did from 2018-23. Now that he is starting to rebound, Severino is likely to be a “big name” at the trade deadline.
Luis Severino is Turning into a ‘Likely’ Trade Candidate
While he’s not the strikeout artist that he used to be, Severino is one of the best-starting pitchers available. Severino has been throwing well and, at a $13 million salary, would cost barely $4 million for the final two months.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, one team that has been linked to Severino trade rumors is the New York Yankees. Having spent his entire career in New York, his big-market and playoff experience would give the Yankees a major boost. New York is playing like a World Series contender and despite being without ace Gerrit Cole, their starting rotation has been one of baseball’s best.
While Cole could return as soon as next month, injuries have been problematic for the Yankees in recent years. The Yankees were recently linked to Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo as an extra layer of pitching depth for the postseason. But with the Marlins seeking a big prospect package, Olney believes a Yankees-Severino reunion is “possible.”
Jeff Passan of ESPN suggests the veteran right-hander is also drawing interest from teams in need of starting-pitching depth like the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles. Both teams have experienced a recent surge of injuries in their starting rotation and have emerged as strong postseason contenders. Severino, a valuable rotation addition, isn’t the type of player that would break the bank to acquire.
When the Mets decide to unload talent, the veteran right-hander will be a sought-after player as the deadline approaches.
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