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The A’s are entering Sacramento on a spending spree—at least by the organization’s standards.
Free-agent pitcher Luis Severino agreed to a three-year deal worth $67 million, which is the franchise’s largest contract guarantee in its history. The contract comes with an opt-out after the second season, according to ESPN.
The previous franchise mark was a six-year, $66 million extension for Eric Chavez in 2004. The biggest free-agent deal the team had signed was previously three years and $30 million for Billy Buttler in 2015.
The deal for Severino, who pitched for the Mets in 2024, shows how unwilling the organization has been to spend historically. His deal beat Chavez’s 20-year record by just $1 million. And the Dodgers will defer $68 million annually on Shohei Ohtani’s contract for each of the next nine years, which is more than Severino’s entire three-year deal.
The A’s went 69–93 this past season, the organization’s final one in Oakland after 56 years. The team will play next season in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, home to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. It plans to eventually move to Las Vegas later this decade.
The Las Vegas Stadium Authority is expected to approve a 30-year lease Thursday, following a $250 million increase in the new ballpark’s expected cost to $1.75 billion. The stadium is planned for the 2028 season.
The team’s move came with the expectation that the A’s would increase payroll, but there were questions about the team’s ability to attract players to a minor league facility. The A’s were able to lure Severino across the country by breaking the bank for him, handing out a deal that “exceeded industry expectations,” according to ESPN.
A year ago, Severino signed a one-year deal with the Mets for $13 million. He had a strong season in Queens, posting an 11–7 record with a 3.91 earned run average, rebounding from a rough 2023 with the Yankees. The 30-year-old turned down a one-year qualifying offer from the Mets worth $21 million to become a free agent and landed a deal that will pay him just over $22 million per season. Since Severino didn’t take the qualifying offer, the Mets will get a compensation pick after the fourth round of the 2025 draft, worth a little more than $500,000 in signing pool money.
