Former Ace Luis Severino Signs One-Year, $13 Million Deal With Mets

Starting pitcher Luis Severino signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Mets Wednesday. Coming off a dreadful season with the New York Yankees, Severino will not have to travel far as he attempts to reignite his MLB career on a short-term contract.

Severino, now 29 years old, has struggled with multiple injuries in recent years and has not played a full season since 2018. Though he was somewhat effective in 2022, participating in a combined no-hitter and earning a 3.18 ERA, he also missed part of the season and only played in 19 games.

After a promising 2022 season, the starter’s 2023 campaign was disastrous, as his ERA ballooned to 6.65 with a 4-8 record. He strained his oblique in September and missed the rest of the season.

The Mets have reportedly been interested in Severino for several months and the short-term deal may be able to help the team overcome issues with its rotation in the coming season. New York boasted one of the most star-studded pitching staffs in baseball going into 2023 but traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline. The team was on its way to missing the postseason and wanted to acquire prospects for their aging stars. Rookie of the Year runner-up Kodai Senga will now lead the staff through a rebuilding period, with Severino expected to slot in behind him.

With Severino leaving for free agency at the end of last season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters in September that his former ace could still be useful to teams if he could remain healthy.

“He really was one of the dominant starters and even through the injuries that he’s experienced over the last few years when he has been healthy, he’s shown you that performance when he has been healthy and then this year he really struggled for the first time,” Boone told reporters.