Severino, Yankees agree to $40 million, 4-year contract
Reliever Axford, Jays complete deal
NEW YORK, Feb 16, (Agencies): Right-hander Luis Severino avoided an arbitration hearing with the New York Yankees, agreeing Friday to a $40 million, four-year 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, Florida. 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.
By agreeing to a long-term contract with a $10 million average annual value, New York raised its projected luxury tax payroll to about $225 million, well above the $206 million threshold.
Reliever John Axford and the Toronto Blue Jays have completed a minor league contract.
If added to the 40-man roster, the 35-year-old right-hander would get a one-year contract with a $1.65 million salary while in the major leagues. In the deal, announced Saturday by Toronto, he would have the chance to earn $1.7 million in performance bonuses based on games.
Axford was 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 45 appearances for Toronto last year, striking out 50 and walking 20 in 51 innings.
Once Carlos Rodon settled back into the Chicago White Sox rotation last season after returning from shoulder surgery, the left-hander had an impressive stretch of starts before fading badly down the stretch.
All that really mattered for Rodon and the White Sox was that he made it through the rest of the season healthy, and got to spring training that way.
“It felt like a normal year, but actually didn’t really feel like a normal year because a normal year for me was going through an injury,” Rodon said Friday. “I had a good offseason, got to be healthy, and show I’m healthy and have a healthy spring, so I’m excited.”
The Kansas City Royals agreed on a minor league deal with righthander Drew Storen, according to published reports on Friday.
Storen will receive $1.25 million if added to the 40-man roster, with an opportunity to earn more through performance bonuses.
The 31-year-old Storen missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late September of 2017.
Storen has experienced past success as a closer, saving a careerbest 43 games in 48 chances in 2011 and 29 in 34 chances in 2015 for the Washington Nationals.
Severino
Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell apologized for his actions that led a 40-game domestic violence suspension, as he fielded questions on Friday for the first time since being suspended in September. Russell was disciplined after now ex-wife Melisa Reidy detailed domestic abuse allegations against him in a blog post, claiming he had abused her during their 2 1/2-year marriage.
It’s another spring and another chance for Daniel Norris to make the Detroit Tigers’ pitching rotation.
This time, the 25-year-old lefthander is trying a more aggressive, mixed-martial arts approach to his training that includes taekwondo, jiujitsu and kickboxing.
“I’m really conscious about my body, and I know that’s odd to hear because I’m hurt all the time,” Norris said Friday. “But I really care about my body. I really work hard on it, so I’m looking for ways to get better and stay healthy.