Luis Severino took the mound for the Athletics Sunday with pressure mounting, scrutiny intensifying, and trade rumors swirling. By the time he walked off, little had changed — except his ERA, which climbed to 5.18 after another rough outing in a 12–5 loss to the New York Yankees.
Facing his former team on the road, Severino gave up five runs on five hits and three walks while recording just three strikeouts. It was another outing defined by inefficient pitch counts and minimal swing-and-miss stuff. The defense didn’t help — the Athletics committed six errors behind him — but Severino again looked far from the frontline starter he was signed to be.
For a club reportedly eager to move him, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Sunday didn’t help the cause. Between his bloated ERA, career-low strikeout rate, and vocal frustration with the Athletics’ temporary home stadium in Sacramento, Severino remains a complex asset: Available, albeit difficult to sell.
His contract — with nearly $10 million left this season and $47 million guaranteed through 2026, including a player option for 2027 — remains a significant obstacle. As the trade deadline approaches, the Athletics may need to retain substantial salary or attach prospects to move the struggling right-hander.
Until then, Severino’s every start — including Sunday’s against the Yankees — only sharpens the question.
Buyers Willing To Wait For Turnaround
The defense was a disaster behind him, committing six errors on the afternoon, but Severino didn’t do himself many favors either. Pitching to contact in a ballpark that favors hitters is one thing; pitching with little command or margin for error is another. And Sunday showed why the Athletics — and any potential suitors — remain frustrated with the wide gap between expectations and results.
Severino’s home/road splits remain drastic. On the road, he’s passable. In Sacramento, at Sutter Health Park — a bandbox with brutal conditions for pitchers — he’s been exposed, with an ERA nearing 7.00 and public criticism of the facility that rubbed some in the organization the wrong way.
After his most recent comments comparing the atmosphere to Spring Training and citing a lack of air conditioning and fan presence.
Moving Severino Won’t Be Easy
He’s owed nearly $10 million for the rest of this season and $25 million guaranteed for 2026, with a $22 million player option looming for 2027. That’s a heavy commitment for a pitcher whose strikeout rate has plummeted to a career-low 15.5% and whose groundball rate continues to decline.
Even his FIP (4.00) and SIERA (4.73) suggest this isn’t just a fluke.
He’s simply not missing bats or limiting damage consistently enough to be more than a back-end arm — and one who comes with significant financial baggage.
Trade interest is likely to be limited from other teams unless the Athletics eat a significant chunk of money, and even then, they’d be dealing from a position of weakness. Severino may still draw a flyer from a pitching-desperate team — a fringe contender banking on a change of scenery — but that’s not likely to yield much in return.
The more realistic scenario may involve the Athletics holding onto him, and reassessing the market in the offseason.
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