The New York Mets' strategy of not overpaying for starting pitching has mostly worked out, but it's also left them vulnerable.
With Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning all on the shelf, New York's current rotation is threadbare. They're going to have to bring in at least one starter at the trade deadline, even assuming healthy returns for all the above, minus Canning, who's done for the year.
The Mets let Luis Severino walk this offseason because the Athletics were willing to overpay him to pitch in their Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento. But halfway into year one of a three-year, $67 million deal, Severino's name is already being thrown around in trade talks.
Would the Mets consider bringing back Severino? Perhaps, says one beat reporter, but only under certain conditions.
On Monday, Andy Martino of SNY wrote that Severino could be a trade fit for the Mets if the A's are either willing to eat some of the money left on his deal or take on some salary from the Mets in return.
"Severino left the Mets because the Mets -- even though they liked the player and person -- didn’t consider the three-year, $67 million contract he signed with the Athletics to be a reasonable deal for him. It made a bit more sense for the A’s, who had to overpay a free agent in order to convince him to play in their minor league ballpark in Sacramento," Martino wrote.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
"But Severino has publicly complained about that ballpark, leading to an industry belief that the A’s would eat money to trade him. If the team absorbs enough of the contract, or takes on a bad contract in return, he could appeal to the Mets."
Severino has a 5.30 ERA in 19 starts this season, but that includes a 7.04 mark at the aforementioned Sutter Health Park and a 3.04 mark on the road. He had a 3.91 ERA in 182 innings for the Mets last season.
It's only one option, but clearly, there's at least a little bit of juice to the idea of a Severino reunion with the Mets.
More MLB: Dodgers predicted to bring $5M World Series champ back to LA at trade deadline