Real reason A’s signed Luis Severino to big deal emerges

May 26, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics baseball hat on the field of play during the third inning after the called third strike of Oakland Athletics designated hitter Jed Lowrie (not pictured) at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland A’s decision to sign Luis Severino to a record-breaking deal was about more than just his baseball abilities.

Last week, the A’s agreed to sign Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract. While the agreement looks modest compared to the one Juan Soto got from the New York Mets, Severino’s deal actually included the largest guarantee in A’s franchise history.

Severino had a bounce-back year with the Mets last season. But his 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 31 starts don’t exactly look like numbers any team breaks the bank for.

The A’s reportedly overpaid the 30-year-old pitcher to intentionally increase their payroll. According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal, the A’s did it to avoid being the subject of a potential grievance from the MLB Players Association (MLBPA).

MLB teams are required to spend more than 1.5 times whatever amount they receive from local revenue sharing. The A’s entered free agency needing to add about $50 million in annual salary to meet the MLPBA’s revenue-sharing requirements. Severino’s deal, which pays him $22.3 million annually, gets the A’s about half of the way there.

Given that the A’s had the worst attendance in the majors, the team is expected to receive one of the highest revenue-sharing checks, reportedly at around $70 million. With Severino on the roster, the team’s estimated payroll for next season is projected to be at around $78 million, still about $27 million short of the expected total.

MLB free agents looking for a bigger payday know who to call.