Luis Severino, a 31-year-old right-hander who spent the 2024 MLB season with the New York Mets, has found himself at the center of trade rumors during his first season with the Oakland Athletics. On June 24, ESPN MLB insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported that the Mets are considered one of the top trade fits for Severino if the Athletics decide to deal him before the July 31 trade deadline.
In their report, Passan and McDaniel wrote that Severino “tunnels his fastball/sinker/sweeper combo well to limit damage,” but because he has a “middling strikeout rate,” his upside is seen as that of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. The insiders also stated that “teams are intrigued by his road numbers, which are exceptional,” citing a 0.93 ERA in 38.2 innings over six starts without allowing a home run. However, they say that his contract, two more years at $47 million, has not generated the same level of interest.
- Luis Severino has a dominant road ERA of 2.27 but is struggling badly at home with a 6.79 ERA in 10 starts at the Athletics’ temporary minor-league stadium.
- He publicly criticized the Sutter Health Park conditions, calling it reminiscent of spring training and citing difficulty performing there.
- The Mets, who are short on starting pitching, are a top trade destination for Severino, and he’s open to a reunion despite focusing on staying healthy and improving.
Source of Decline and Frustration
After signing a three-year, $67 million free agent deal with Oakland, Severino began the 2025 season as a core piece of the A’s rotation. His results have been starkly split depending on where he pitches. Severino currently has a 6.79 ERA in 10 home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, compared to a 2.27 ERA in seven road starts.
In a June 27 article by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Severino was quoted expressing dissatisfaction with the A’s home environment. “It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch. It’s the same mentality we have, to go out there and try to do our best. But it’s not been great for us,” he said.
“I knew it was a young team, but I wasn’t expecting the field to play like it has. I want to do better there. I just have to figure out how to pitch better at home,” Severino added.
The Athletics are using the Triple-A stadium in Sacramento temporarily during the 2025 season. Severino, who had a strong season with the Mets in 2024, has now been mentioned by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman as a trade candidate due to his uneven performance in Oakland.
Mets a Logical Landing Spot as Rotation Thins
Severino is not known to have requested a trade. When asked on June 29 whether he would be open to a move before the trade deadline, Severino said he was not thinking about that and was simply trying to concentrate on doing his job and getting better.
At that point in the season, the Mets were dealing with significant rotation issues, including the loss of Griffin Canning to a season-ending injury. This has led to growing speculation that New York could consider bringing Severino back.
Severino acknowledged he was aware of the rumors but explained he had not heard of any teams actively pursuing him. He said it was not hard for him to focus in Oakland because his priority remained to do his job. If a trade happened, he said he would be ready, and staying healthy was his main concern.
Reflecting on his time with the Mets, Severino said they were great to him during his 2024 season and that if a trade were to happen, he definitely would not say no. That said, he added that any decision would ultimately depend on what the Athletics needed.
He also shared that he had told his agent he was willing to stay in New York on a two-year, $40 million deal, but the Mets instead chose to offer a similar contract to Frankie Montas, who signed for two years and $34 million.
Market Doubts Over Severino’s Consistency
On April 13, 2025, Severino started for the A’s against the Mets at Sutter Health Park. According to RealGM and BetMGM betting lines, the Mets were favored at around –140, with the Athletics listed as underdogs between +118 and +126. That day, Severino had a 0–2 record with a 4.74 ERA, while Mets pitcher Kodai Senga carried a 1.80 ERA into the game.
FanDuel had similar odds, listing New York at –142 and Oakland at +120. The run total was set around 9. These odds reflected limited confidence in Severino’s early-season form.
A July 2 betting preview from Sports Illustrated showed continued skepticism toward the A’s, listing them among the league’s biggest underdogs. The Athletics had gone 14–32 in their last 46 games and were near the bottom of MLB rankings in both team ERA and bullpen ERA.
Return to Yankee Stadium Brings Disappointment
On June 30, Severino pitched at Yankee Stadium for the first time since September 8, 2023. In the Athletics’ 12–5 loss to the Yankees, Severino allowed seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings. He was removed from the game after giving up a two-run homer to Aaron Judge and hitting Ben Rice with a pitch. It was the fourth time this season he allowed seven runs in a game.
In that outing, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo home run in the second inning, then delivered a bases-clearing triple in the third and scored on a wild pitch. After the game, Severino said, “This is not me. This is not close to being me with the numbers that I have.”
He also acknowledged possible pitch tipping, saying, “I saw some little things. Not 100%. Most of the tipping is not at 100%. It’s like 70 to 80%. I’m just working on my glove positioning. I feel like today was better. Today, it was just the third inning [that hurt me].”
A Season of Struggles With Unfinished Business
Through 18 starts in 2025, Severino holds a 2–9 record with a 5.18 ERA. He leads the American League in losses, hits allowed, and earned runs. Still, he told reporters he feels healthy and his desire to improve, “I feel pretty good. I feel healthy. I just need to get in a good stretch.”
Manager Mark Kotsay commented after Severino’s June 30 start, “Executing pitches and commanding the baseball, we haven’t done that today at all.”
Despite poor results at home, Severino has logged 100⅔ innings so far this year after throwing 182 innings for the Mets in 2024, plus 16⅔ more in the postseason.
