Report: Athletics agree to franchise record-setting deal with Severino originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Athletics aren’t just making moves with their team relocation, they’re taking action with their roster ahead of the 2025 MLB season.
The team agreed to a three-year, $67 million contract with right-handed pitcher Luis Severino, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, citing sources.
BREAKING: Right-hander Luis Severino and the A’s are in agreement on a three-year, $67 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in the history of the A’s franchise. And even with the qualifying offer attached, Severino got well over market expectations.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2024
The deal is the largest free-agent contract in Athletics franchise history, and it included a $10 million signing bonus and opt-out clause following the second season, per Passan.
Severino, 30, spent the 2024 season with the New York Mets following a nine-year career with the New York Yankees. He held an 11-7 regular-season record last season and started three playoff games for the Mets. In 182 innings over 31 starts — his most since 2018 — he posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.
He was a key part of the Mets’ rotation all 2024, and valuable throughout the postseason, pitching 16.2 innings and giving up six earned runs.
New York extended Severino a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer. He rejected it, and the Athletics, who went into the offseason seeking pitching, per Passan, came calling.
In signing Severino, the Athletics forfeit their third-highest pick in the 2025 draft, Passan added, but intend to bump their payroll into the $100 million range. Since the Mets exceeded the competitive-balance-tax threshold last season, they will receive a compensation pick after the fourth round worth just over $500,000 in draft bonus-pool money, per Passan.
There is a lot of change ahead for the Athletics, and adding Severino into the mix is proof of just that.
