A’s Wanted to Make ‘Statement’ with Historic $67M Luis Severino Contract, GM Says

Athletics general manager David Forst revealed the team’s reasoning behind signing free-agent starting pitcher Luis Severino to a historic contract on Thursday.

“We wanted to make something of a statement coming into a new city and coming into a new ballpark,” Forst said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “But more than that, to improve on what we have. Signing someone with Luis’s experience to be a leader was important to us.”

Severino joined the Athletics on a three-year, $67 million contract.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that it’s the largest guarantee in the history of the A’s franchise, surpassing the previous record of $66 million held by former third baseman Eric Chavez in 2004.

The contract also includes an opt-out after the 2026 season.

After calling Oakland home from 1968 through 2024, the Athletics will be playing home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento from 2025-27 before eventually moving to Las Vegas.

With the team’s upcoming change of scenery, Forst wanted to add a rotation upgrade as the A’s attempt to build upon a 69-93 record in 2024.

Severino is coming off a bounce-back campaign with the New York Mets, as injuries limited his time on the mound near the end of his career as a member of the New York Yankees. In 31 starts on the Mets last year, he finished with a 3.91 ERA to go along with a record of 11-7.

The 30-year-old also racked up 161 strikeouts, his highest total since his last All-Star campaign with the Yankees in 2018. Severino’s consistency throughout the year helped the Mets finish with 89 wins and make a National League Championship Series appearance.

As the Athletics prepare to host games in Sacramento, they made a major addition to the top of their rotation on Thursday.