On Wednesday, Luis Severino admitted that there’s a significant likelihood that he has just thrown his last pitch for the organization. The pitcher, who has been the longest player to be with the team, is the best person to discuss what lay ahead for him twelve days later.
“What can I say? There’s a large chance it could happen,” Severino said. “I don’t know what the future’s going to bring to me.”
The Yankees initially signed him back in 2011 from the Dominican Republic. Luis Severino is currently out of the active roster following a shooting pain in his rib while pitching on September 8. According to the Yankees right-hander, his left oblique is improving, although he mentioned that sneezing and coughing have now become unpleasant and painful experiences.
Luis Severino’s season has come to an end, but he believes there won’t be any lingering issues, and he’s confident that he will be in good health for the next spring training, even though it’s uncertain where he’ll be as he enters free agency.
Luis Severino’s roller coster in pinstripes
Luis Severino made his debut in 2015 when he stepped in for the injured Michael Pineda while Joe Girardi was managing the team. In 2017, he had a breakthrough season, finishing third in AL Cy Young voting and establishing himself as the Yankees’ ace. He earned his second All-Star selection in 2018, posting a 3.39 ERA that year.
But after that, he started facing setbacks. A sequence of injuries affecting his shoulder and elbow, which finally led to Tommy John surgery in 2020, resulted in Luis Severino only being able to pitch for a total of 18 innings from 2019 to 2021.
In the previous year, he achieved a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts, but Luis Severino missed over two months of the season due to a lat strain. This season has been quite unusual for him. It started yet another lat strain. Luis Severino came back from that injury in May, but as his difficulties continued to pile up, he eventually stated that he felt like the least effective pitcher in the game.
He had started to improve his season, which had been a nightmare, with a 2.49 ERA in his last four starts. Then the oblique injury occurred and caused Luis Severino to reflect on both his future and his past.
Luis Severino stated, before the Yankees’ 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays, that he had consistently given his 100 percent effort throughout his time in the Bronx. He acknowledged having faced multiple injuries during his tenure but expressed his genuine enjoyment of being a Yankee and his strong affection for the team. He also noted that if he were to make the same career choice again, he would always opt for being a Yankee.
Luis Severino’s Yankees career meets a tragic end
On September 8, after throwing a pitch and experiencing intense pain, Luis Severino became emotional. He battled through the discomfort and tried to hold back tears during a media session, realizing that his season had abruptly come to an end and that his time with the Yankees might also be over due to the severe left oblique strain.
According to Luis Severino, there is nothing he can say. He acknowledges that there’s a large chance that his contract with the Yankees could be over. He added that he did not know what the future would bring to him.
The 29-year-old will become a free agent with significant potential, as he has a track record of exceptional pitching, but he also has a history of injuries. Luis Severino mentioned that he hasn’t had discussions with the Yankees regarding a contract extension. This implies that he will have the freedom to decide on the next phase of his career. He also emphasized that he would naturally prefer to come back to the team.
“If I had to choose my career again, I would always choose being a Yankee.”
A reunion with the Yankees appears improbable because the team has made substantial investments in pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, intends to bring back Nestor Cortes, and has witnessed the rise of pitchers like Clarke Schmidt and Michael King. Additionally, they have seen promising performances from young pitchers such as Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito.
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