Severino, Yanks agree to 4-year, $40M deal
Right-hander 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 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.
He had been scheduled for the final salary arbitration hearing of the year on Friday morning at St. Petersburg. 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. He was set back when he struggled in 2016 and was sent to the minor leagues several times.
A right-hander who turns 25 next Wednesday, Severino is a two-time All-Star. He went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA last year, winning 14 of his first 16 decisions but then five of his last 11. He came out early in both of his postseason starts, going 0-1 in seven innings.
Boone anticipates Severino will start the opener against Baltimore on March 28.
Danny Farquhar wore a specially designed protective cap Friday 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 Houston. 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.
“I am extraordinarily just thankful,” Farquhar said.
He met with doctors and trainers at Steinbrenner Field 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.
“Baseball’s been something I’ve done since I was 5 years old,” said Farquhar, who turns 32 Sunday. “I remember being in the ICU and wondering when stretch was so I can get back out there and not truly understanding the situation. Honestly, it’s my drive, my passion.”
He has pitched in 253 games over seven big league seasons, going 1015 with a 3.39 ERA and 18 saves for Toronto (2011), Seattle (2013-15), Tampa Bay (2016-17) and the White Sox (2017-18) . ... Reliever Dellin Betances, excused for the birth of his son, is expected to report Monday.
ELSEWHERE
Arbitration: Detroit beat 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. Fulmer was the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2017. A right-hander who turns 26 on March 15, Fulmer was 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA in 132 innings last year. He didn’t pitch for the Tigers between July 14 and Aug. 24 because of a left oblique strain, then didn’t pitch after Sept. 15 because of a torn right lateral meniscus.
Astros: Roberto Osuna will close for the Houston Astros. On the field, Osuna had 21 saves last season, including 12 for the Astros after being acquired from Toronto.