Severino, Yankees agree to 4-year, $40 million contract
NEW YORK — Righthander Luis Severino avoided an arbitration hearing with the New York Yankees, agreeing Friday to a four-year, $40 million contract.
Severino's deal includes a team option for 2023 that could make the agreement worth $52.25 million for five seasons. If the option is not exercised, Severino would be eligible for free agency after the 2022 season.
Severino, who turns 25 on Wednesday, gets a $2 million signing bonus, $4 million in 2019, $10 million in 2020, $10.5 million in 2021 and $11 million in 2022. The team option is for $15 million with a $2.75 million buyout.
“He's a great pitcher, and I hope he's here for a long time,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the deal was announced.
Severino had been scheduled for the final salary arbitration hearing of the year Friday morning at St. Petersburg, Fla. Severino had asked for a raise from $604,975 to $5.25 million in his first season of arbitration eligibility, and the Yankees had offered $4.4 million.
Severino has a 41-25 career record with a 3.51 ERA and falls two days of service time short of having been eligible for free agency after 2021.
Tigers best Fulmer in arbitration finale
Detroit beat righthanded pitcher Michael Fulmer in the last salary arbitration case this year, leaving players with a 6-4 final record in decisions.
Fulmer was awarded a raise from $575,200 to $2.8 million by Matt Goldberg, Robert Herzog and Elizabeth Neumeier, who heard the case Wednesday. Fulmer had asked for $3.4 million.
Fulmer was the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2017. Fulmer, who turns 26 on March 15, was 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA in 1321⁄3 innings last year. He didn't pitch for the Tigers between July 14 and Aug. 24 because of a left oblique strain and then didn't pitch after Sept. 15 because of a torn right lateral meniscus.
Players had a winning record for the third time in four years but just the fifth time since 1996 and 11th time since arbitration started in 1974. Three starting pitchers won — Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, Houston's Gerrit Cole and Cincinnati's Alex Wood — along with Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Oakland closer Blake Treinen, and Tampa Bay outfielder Tommy Pham.
Farquhar to wear protective cap
Danny Farquhar wore a specially designed protective cap during his first spring training bullpen session with the New York Yankees.
Farquhar collapsed in the Chicago White Sox dugout last April 20 after pitching in the sixth inning against the Astros. He was diagnosed with a ruptured aneurysm and brain hemorrhage, had surgery the next day and was hospitalized until May 7. Farquhar was not cleared to pitch again in 2018, became a free agent after the season and signed a minor league contract with the Yankees.
He met with doctors and trainers at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., on Monday to design his hat, which includes Kevlar and foam. After a proper fit was found, it took just two days to create the final product.
“It looks like a hat, it's just two sizes big, and it's got like a skully protector on the inside,” Farquhar said. “At first when I put it on, it felt a little shallow on my head, like kind of sitting up a little bit. Today it felt like normal baseball hat. It didn't feel anything crazy, so I'd be curious to see if maybe one day MLB mandates it for all pitchers just for the extra protection.”
Farquhar threw 27 pitches in front of Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, guest instructor Ron Guidry and rehabilitation pitching instructor Greg Pavlick.