Trade or stay: Luis Severino to lose his place in Yankees’ rotation

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It’s possible that Luis Severino‘s impressive career with the Yankees might have ended on a low note during a tough game in Baltimore. As for what comes next for him, there are no definite answers yet. Neither the pitcher himself nor manager Aaron Boone has clarity over his next assignment.

The Yankees are willing to discuss the possibility of trading away players whose contracts are ending soon, including Luis Severino, before the upcoming trade deadline on Tuesday. Even if Luis Severino doesn’t get traded, the team’s manager, Aaron Boone, did not promise that he would definitely start in his next scheduled game.

Luis Severino is making $15 million this year, and one possible strategy for the team is to trade him and the remaining salary (which is around $5 million). This could help the club stay below the luxury-tax threshold of $293 million.

If the Yankees decide to make this move, it would mark the end of Luis Severino’s time with the team, which started back in 2012 when he was signed as a young right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.

Yankees and Luis Severino

Luis Severino quickly advanced through the team’s farm system and had an impressive debut in 2015, showing great skill and excellence. Over time, he developed into a top-tier starting pitcher, earning spots in the All-Star Games in both 2017 and 2018.

The Yankees signed a contract extension with Severino before the 2019 season, but unfortunately, that’s when his injury troubles began. In that season, he could only make three starts because of shoulder and lat problems. Later, in February 2020, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of play for the entire 2020 season and most of the 2021 season.

Luis Severino faced considerable time off due to injuries last year as well. However, when he was fit to play, he performed impressively, with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts. Despite this, the Yankees chose to exercise their club option to keep their longest-tenured player on the team. Unfortunately, this season has not been going well for the team, and they have been facing significant challenges.

The worst performance in 2023

The former star pitcher suffered a lat strain that kept him out of the game until late May. Since then, he hasn’t performed well and even described himself as “maybe the worst pitcher in the game” on Sunday.

Luis Severino’s performance has been highly unpredictable, and he has been prone to major struggles, resulting in his ERA rising to 7.49 after making 12 starts. In three out of the five starts he made in July, Severino gave up seven or more runs.

During the game on Sunday at Camden Yards, the first six Orioles who came up to bat scored, which essentially put an end to the game right from the beginning. Luis Severino stated that he knows he can provide the team with good outings. However, at the moment, nothing seems to be working for him. He mentioned that he won’t stop working and will continue to figure out what’s going wrong. But, he also expressed that he currently feels like he’s not even contributing to the team.

Should Luis Severino stay with the Yankees after the deadline, it’s uncertain whether he will continue to be part of the starting rotation for a team trying to secure a wild-card spot. Nestor Cortes is currently recovering from an injury and is progressing well on his rehab assignment. He might need just one more outing before he is ready to return to the team.

If Nestor Cortes joins a group that includes a healthy German, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt, Severino might end up being the odd one out and not part of the starting rotation.

Boone didn’t confirm that Luis Severino will be making his next start, which is scheduled for Friday against the Astros. The Yankees manager only mentioned that “everything’s on the table” when discussing Severino’s status in the rotation. He stated this before the Yankees started a series against the Rays in The Bronx. Boone further explained that they haven’t made any final decisions yet and they are considering different options. They will continue to assess the situation in the coming days.

Luis Severino confidently stated that he is 100 percent healthy. However, he also recognized that there is uncertainty surrounding his role on the team.

According to Luis Severino, he doesn’t have any clear idea of what might happen or what the future holds for his rotation spot. He expressed uncertainty about his current position. He added that if he is indeed removed from the rotation, the only thing he can do is focus on improving himself every day.

Luis Severino’s contract with the Yankees will end after this season. Unless he has an exceptional performance in the remaining months of the season, he will be entering the free-agent market at a challenging time. As the Yankees make decisions before the trade deadline, there is a chance that Luis Severino, who is 29 years old, might end up trying to rebuild his value by joining another team.

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