After opening the season with the best starting staff in all of baseball, the New York Mets are suddenly facing questions about their rotation as the trade deadline comes into view.
The team lost Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and Kodai Senga to the injured list in recent weeks and with Sean Manaea still working toward his own season debut, the Mets are likely to be one of several contending teams shopping for a starting pitcher addition in the next few weeks. And that hunt could include a deal to bring back a familiar face.
“A reunion between the Mets and Luis Severino has to be considered unlikely — but we wouldn’t call it impossible,” Major League Baseball insider Andy Martino reported for SNY. “Severino left because the Mets — even though they liked the player and person — didn’t consider the three-year, $67 million contract he signed with the Athletics to be a reasonable deal for him. It made a bit more sense for the A’s, who had to overpay a free agent in order to convince him to play in their minor league ballpark in Sacramento.”
After eight seasons, including two All-Star bids, with the New York Yankees, Severino joined the Mets on a one-year pact last season and posted a strong bounceback campaign. So far this year, in 19 total starts that are tied for the most of any pitcher in MLB, Severino has regressed with a 5.30 ERA.
But it’s hard to say what portion of those struggles are due to the A’s ballpark. And Martino noted that the questions around that environment could help propel a trade that sends Severino back to the Mets.
“But Severino has publicly complained about that ballpark, leading to an industry belief that the A’s would eat money to trade him,” he added. “If the team absorbs enough of the contract, or takes on a bad contract in return, he could appeal to the Mets. Again, New York liked Severino and would gladly have retained him at a lower price point.”
After a strong fit with Severino during the Mets’ surprising playoff run last year, perhaps the team will look to recapture some of that magic by bringing him back in the next few weeks.
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