RHP Luis Severino has been with the New York Yankees since the start of his career in 2015. When healthy, Severino is a force to be reckoned with. He has a career ERA of 3.38 with 714 strikeouts. However, the pitcher’s whole career has been marred with injuries. Though he has been in MLB for the past eight years, the pitcher has only pitched over 100 innings twice. The man’s got talent and the right skill set for the role of a formidable pitcher. However, his concerning injury history often becomes a nagging issue.
Meanwhile, Luis Severino is all set to hit unrestricted free agency next off-season in 2024. As a forever Yankee, Severino would certainly want to continue in the pinstripes. But will the Yankees be willing to look past his dreadful injury history? The Yankees campaign has always suffered majorly due to frequent injuries during the most crucial stage of the tournament. Even this season, Luis missed nearly two months due to a lat strain. Hence, it is highly unlikely that the Yankees would retain any more injury-prone players. Under such circumstances, here are the top three destinations Severino can opt for in the upcoming free agency.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres has always been a highly active team in free agency. They are aggressive and would shy away from picking risky deals. Also, time and again, the Padres have entangled themselves in these kinds of unconfirmed floating rumors. Coming back to Luis Severino, the Padres will have an empty slot at the table for next season. Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha could bid adieu to the team, which makes Severino a perfect fit. Hence, the Padres will certainly keep an eye on Luis’ performance this season.
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angles will have a busy free agency next season. They have their star performer, Shohei Ohtani, hitting the free-agent market in 2024. However, speculations are such that the Angels might choose to trade him before Ohtani could enter the market. But there also exists a strong possibility of Ohtani refusing to get traded to fetch a high value in the free agent market. Either way, the departure of Ohtani will leave out a hole in the rotation that could be filled by Luis Severino. He can handle the pitching aspects of the Angels pretty nicely, considering their combination. Hence, Los Angeles Angels become a good option for Severino.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs remained one of the busiest teams during this year’s off-season. They brought on board a handful of veteran players, such as Dansby Swanson and Trey Mancini. However, towards the end of the current season, the Cubs, too, have a couple of players, such as Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks, ready to leave. Hence, they can view Luis Severino as a high-risk, high-reward player and could sign him for a short period of time.
Ultimately it all comes down to the man himself, Luis Severino, to assess what’s best for him. If he wishes to stay in the Bronx, the pitcher will have to prove his worth this season by performing and staying away from injuries. And if nothing works out, any of the above-mentioned teams would be more than happy to have him on the roster.
