The A's Luis Severino Conundrum

Since signing with the A's and being handed the largest contract in franchise history, Luis Severino has been a hot topic for the club. He was vocal about his issues with the minor-league ballpark in Sacramento at times last season, and some reported that the A's brass were not happy about that. The front office appeared to deny that claim.

Despite rumors that the A's would trade him at the deadline, he ended up staying with the club, and pitched fairly well down the stretch, holding a 3.10 ERA (3.48 FIP) across 49 1/3 innings, compared to a 5.16 ERA (4.38 FIP) in the first half. He focused on utilizing his fastball a bit more beginning in July, and that led to more success for the veteran right-hander, even at home.

Severino is owed a $5 million signing bonus in January, which the A's will pay, and then will make a $20 million salary in 2026, followed by a $22 million player option in 2027. All together, that's $47 million over two years, if he opts in to that final season.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the A's are showing "little interest in simply dumping right-hander Luis Severino...Teams have shown interest in taking Severino’s entire salary, but only if the A’s do not require them to part with talent in return. The A’s, already in need of a starter, would prefer to bank on Severino improving over his first season with the team instead."

In other words, if the A's want to trade Severino, then they'll have to pay down some of his contract in order to get some sort of a return for him. The team could also use Severino, at least at the beginning of the season, however. And here is where the conundrum lies.

The Pros and Cons of Trading Luis Severino This Winter