New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino became a free agent on November 4th and it’s looking like he could land back in the American League this offseason. A two-time All-Star with the New York Yankees, “Sevy” is 30 years old and is anticipated to land a respectable contract through free agency. He joined the Mets in November of 2023 signing a one-year, $13 million contract with them. In 2024, he sported an 11-7 record, an ERA of 3.91 with 161 punchouts across 182 innings of work.
Injuries have impacted parts of Severino’s MLB career. In 2020, he underwent Tommy John surgery and worked through an oblique strain in 2023. But the veteran has many fine attributes, including athleticism, that many teams would love to have in their starting rotation. In 2017 Severino finished third in the AL Cy Young voting and was a finalist for the 2024 NL Gold Glove Award.
Per @/bnsbaseball on BlueSky (@bnicholsonsmith), the #BlueJays talked to SP Luis Severino very quickly pic.twitter.com/iXrNXxWKDX
— Blue Jays Corner (@TOJaysCorner) November 14, 2024
Former Yankees All-Star Luis Severino Could Rejoin AL as Free Agent
Sevy’s Strong Attributes
Severino has four primary pitches: the four-seam fastball, the sinker, the sweeper, and the cutter. His fastball is commanding and it can go as high as 101 mph but settles around 98 mph. He turned to his sinker more often in 2024 and it worked magic by reducing walks, which is always a prized skill to have as a pitcher. Walks can creep up on pitchers and get them into trouble. The variety that Severino carries with his pitches allows him to fool hitters by mixing up his pitches. In addition, it spoils offense for hitters by reducing strong contact. Severino also demonstrated a decent groundball rate of 46% in 2024, according to FanGraphs.
Potential Landing Spots for Severino
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have their work cut out for them this offseason and one of the many areas they need to prioritize is starting pitching. According to Sportsnet baseball editor Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays have already had discussions with Severino. Severino has many qualities that would fit well with the Blue Jays rotation such as having a veteran presence on the mound and an assertive pitching style that helps him dominate hitters.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are also among the many teams looking for a starter in their rotation. They are looking to add a key starter through free agency to amplify their success in 2025. Severino could become a dependable second starter alongside the 2024 AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal. The team’s successful 2024 season, where they made the postseason for the first time since 2014, provided optimism for next year.
