Yankees Reuniting with RHP Makes Too Much Sense

With rotation help now running parallel to third base as the New York Yankees' most pressing needs at the trade deadline, perhaps they could call up the Athletics and look to pry away a familiar face in Luis Severino.

Severino began his stint in the Yankees' organization upon signing as an international free agent in December 2011. The right-hander became one of the top pitching prospects around the league in short order, evidenced by the fact that MLB Pipeline (No. 23) and Baseball America (No. 35) both ranked him fairly high before the 2015 campaign.

He'd make his major league debut on August 5 of that year and close out his rookie season with a 2.89 ERA over 11 starts. Severino ran into a sophomore slump of sorts in 2016 with a 5.83 ERA in 22 appearances, but the Yankees would see him blossom into a high-level pitcher in no time.

During his age-23 campaign in 2017, Severino finished third in AL Cy Young voting and earned his first-ever All-Star nod while logging a 2.98 ERA with 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings across 31 starts. He was brilliant yet again in 2018, making another trip to the Midsummer Classic while posting a 3.39 ERA in 32 outings and 191 1/3 innings.

Severino signed a four-year extension worth $40 million that included a club option for a potential fifth season in February 2019, but injuries soon became a major concern for him. He'd make just three starts in 2019 due to rotator cuff inflammation and a Grade 2 lat strain before undergoing Tommy John surgery in February 2020, keeping him off the Yankees' 26-man roster until September 2021.

After putting up a combined 4.80 ERA between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Severino left the club and signed a one-year deal with the New York Mets ahead of the 2024 campaign. He emerged as a fan favorite for the Bronx Bombers' crosstown rivals, posting a 3.91 ERA over 31 outings before reaching free agency for a second-straight offseason.

The Athletics came out of nowhere and inked Severino to a three-year, $67 million deal, but the partnership between the two sides hasn't gone as planned thus far.

The organization is currently holed up at Sutter Health Park, a minor league facility in West Sacramento, after leaving Oakland and waiting for their new stadium in Las Vegas to open in 2028.

Severino publicly voiced his frustrations with the situation while speaking with The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, leading USA Today's Bob Nightengale to report that the A's are more than open to trading him.

The 31-year-old has logged a 5.30 ERA in 19 outings on the year, though the disparity between that figure at home (7.04) and on the road (3.04) show that his complaints have some merit.

With Clarke Schmidt undergoing Tommy John surgery while Marcus Stroman struggles, the Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher before the July 31 deadline. While the organization would likely have to take on the majority of Severino's contract in a trade with the A's, it might be a worthy gamble. He's plenty comfortable playing in New York, and there's reason to believe he'd bounce back in the pinstripes.

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