Severino details his excitement about playing with ‘hungry’ young athletes originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
New athletic ace Luis Severino held his introductory press conference Friday, just one day after signing a franchise tag. record three-year contract worth up to $67 million with an opt-out after the second season.
The 30-year-old right-hander focused on the Athletics’ pipeline of young talent when he discussed what convinced him to move to Sacramento and recalled his thoughts on the team as he was playing with the New York Mets during the 2024 season.
“When we had those Zoom meetings, I said (to athletics general manager David Forst), ‘When they played us in New York, this team looked like the A’s from 2017-2018’; a team that made it to the playoffs, a young team that was hungry to get on the field and play winning baseball,” Severino said. “I’m excited to be a part of this team and an organization. I think we are now heading in the right direction.
The 2024 Athletics won two of three against Severino’s Mets at Citi Field in mid-August. The wins came amid the Athletics’ 31-22 second-half run that saw right fielder Lawrence Butler — except in this series — designated hitter Brent Rooker and catcher Shea Langeliers. turn the baseball upside down.
Severino liked what he saw from the 69-93 Athletics and, while speaking with reserve, expects to be something of a leader, whether with his voice or skills, in a clubhouse where the average age was 26.8 years in 2024.
“If they need me, I’ll be that leader,” Severino said. “I mean, I’m not going to boss the guys around. I’m just going to let my talent speak. I’m going to go, I’m going to compete, I’m going to help. If they need me, I will be there to answer whatever they need.
Severino’s new pitching staff could benefit from his mentorship.
The Athletics currently have young arms such as Joey Estes, Luis Medina, Joe Boyle, JT Ginn expected to compete for rotation opportunities, with 2024 AL All-Star closer Mason Miller in the bullpen. relievers, and all are “hungry” without any playoff experience.
Severino posted a 4.62 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 14 playoff games with the Yankees and New York Mets. Those aren’t the best numbers, but he allowed just three hits – while giving up four walks and two earned runs – against the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 2024 NLCS.
To be one of the few seniors in the room naturally bears responsibility. But the real pressure comes from Severino’s contract. Outside of current free agent pitcher Ross Stripling, who made $9.25 million last season, no players on Oakland’s last club won over $3 million — Severino makes a little more than that.
“I hope that’s the case,” Forst said of the record-breaking deal that serves as a statement to MLB. “We have spent the last two years trying to make improvements incrementally. We obviously improved 19 games from season 23 (50-112) and we feel like this is a good, young team; a team without a lot of experience, but with a lot of talent. And we certainly came into this offseason feeling like we wanted to make a statement, coming to a new city, a new stadium.
“We sent plans to the players so they can see what we’re building. We’re doing our best to make this a Major League facility. We’ve embraced it. The fact that Luis is here today sends , hopefully, a message around the game.
The A’s are still last in the payroll rankings. Severino’s average annual worth of $22.33 million doesn’t just stand out as someone with a cold in the dog days of a summer in Sacramento but that naturally puts pressure on all parties involved and the on-field results that will ensue, especially considering Severino’s long injury history, which was not an issue last season.
But what matters is that the Athletics are trying. Plus, it’s up to Severino to decide how important it is to be the highest-paid player in franchise history. And spoiler alert: he only cares about the positives, and there are $67 million of them.
“For me it means a lot,” Severino said. “It means a lot to my family. I thank the A’s for giving me the opportunity to be here.
“It’s the same pressure I have every year, you know? (I’m) going to go out there and compete, I’m going to give 100 percent and I’m going to be the best pitcher, person and teammate that I can be to help everyone be better. I can’t wait to see what we can do. And in the end, it’s about playing baseball.
Severino made it clear he was “excited” to play for the Athletics.
From afar, he appreciated what the franchise was doing on the field. Severino was eager to reunite with his former Yankees teammate (2017-22), Miguel Andújar, who helped convince the pitcher to leave the Big Apple for Golden State’s capital with a speech about the club’s energetic, family atmosphere. ‘athletics.
Severino was even – is – intrigued by the renovations underway at Sutter Health Park, initially only the home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and by the pending “two-level clubhouse” prototype that ‘he’s never seen before. .
“It’s an exciting day for the A’s (and) an exciting introduction for us to the city of Sacramento,” Forst said. “We are thrilled to have a pitcher of Luis’s caliber here, joining us for our first year at Sutter Health Ballpark. … It is our first big acquisitiona pitcher with a lot of experience – playoff experience – (and) the leadership that Luis will bring to our team is something we’ve talked about a lot.
“I’m just very happy that our young, improving and growing team has someone like Luis leading the pitching staff.”
