Athletics pitcher Luis Severino may have successfully talked his way to a new team because of recent comments he made about the team’s temporary home in Sacramento.
The Athletics “can’t wait to trade” Severino in part because of comments he made about Sutter Health Park, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The organization was “agitated” by his comments, and it would be a “surprise” if he remains with the organization at the start of August.
Severino recently dismissed the A’s temporary home as “not a big league park” and has been critical of how the stadium plays. Despite the team’s efforts to upgrade the stadium, run scoring has been high in Sacramento, and that plays out in Severino’s stats. At home, he has a 6.79 ERA in ten starts, while he has a 2.27 ERA in seven starts on the road.
No matter how critical Severino has been, it is quite surprising that things fell apart between him and the team so quickly. He signed a three-year, $67 million contract with the Athletics during the winter, though it was later reported that the A’s did not have the purest of intentions when handing out the deal. Obviously, the team would not mind from getting out of that contract, and Severino’s road performance has been good enough that teams will believe getting him out of Sacramento might benefit him statistically.
Overall, the 31-year-old has a 4.83 ERA this season. He posted a 3.91 ERA with the New York Mets last season, which may be a more realistic expectation for him if he lands in a more pitcher-friendly environment.
