MLB

MLB Offseason Round-Up: Luis Severino Switches New York Hats

Published

5 months ago

November 30, 2023

This is one in a series of daily articles highlighting the latest news and notes from the MLB offseason.

The expectation was the Luis Severino would be leaving the New York Yankees in free agency this winter. While it proved true, the reality is that he will not have to travel all that far.

Severino agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the crosstown New York Mets, as MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand first reported. The deal comes with $2 million in incentives and is pending a physical.

The 29-year-old Severino is coming off of a poor showing with the Yankees last season. In 19 appearances/18 starts, he finished the year 4-8 with a hideous 6.65 ERA.

Health has been an issue for the right-hander in his career. He’s made only 45 appearances since the start of the 2019 season with New York. When healthy, Severino has shown he can be an impact starter. Prior to his 2023 debacle, he owned a 3.39 ERA with a 50-29 record and 709 strikeouts in 638 innings of work.

The Mets are banking on a bounce-back season from Severino in what will be his first season not in pinstripes.

Meet More Mets

Severino isn’t the only free agent the Mets landed on Wednesday in what proved to be an active day of the MLB offseason. As Andy Martino of SNY reported, the club is in agreement — pending a physical — with infielder Joey Wendle on a one-year deal worth $2 million.

Wendle spent the last two seasons in Miami with the Marlins after a four-year run with the Tampa Bay Rays. He started his career with the Oakland A’s. An All-Star in 2021, Wendle has hit .263 with a .698 OPS in his career.

Reds Add Two Pitchers

The Cincinnati Reds added to their bullpen in the form of Emilio Pagán. The deal is a two-year, $16M agreement with an opt-out after the first season, as Feinsand along with fellow baseball insiders Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal reported.

The right-hander is coming off of a superb season with the Minnesota Twins. Pagán finished the 2023 campaign with a 2.99 ERA in 66 appearances. The 32-year-old has pitched for five different teams in his career and is 22-18 with a 3.71 ERA and 32 saves in seven seasons.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Reds added another pitcher. The agreed to a two-year, $26 million deal with Nick Martinez. There’s an opt-out after year one in Martinez’s deal, too.

Martinez made 63 appearances (nine starts) with the San Diego Padres last season. He went 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA with a 3.43 ERA across a total of 110.1 innings. Since coming back stateside from pitching in Japan, Martinez is 10-8 with a 3.45 ERA in two seasons with the Friars.

Both Reds’ deals are pending physicals.

Other News and Notes

Trade talks surrounding Chicago White Sox starter are intensifying, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. A deal could happen before the Winter Meetings next week.
The Kansas City Royals announced they’ve signed infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson to a one-year deal worth $2 million. Hampson was non-tendered by the Marlins earlier this month.