MLB Rumors: AL Team ‘Can’t Wait’ To Trade Former Red Sox Rival

An American League club is reportedly ready to move on from an offseason signing.

The Athletics made an uncharacteristic free-agent splash when giving Luis Severino a three-year, $67 million deal. They may already be experiencing buyer’s remorse, as the 31-year-old starting pitcher has registered a 4.83 ERA with just 68 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings.

The AL West squad is reportedly seeking an escape route. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the A’s “can’t wait to trade” Severino, who’s “agitating the organization” with comments about their temporary home park.

Nighengale said it could be considered a “surprise” if Severino remains with the team beyond the July 31 trade deadline.

As they await construction of a new Las Vegas stadium, the A’s are playing their home games at Sutter Health Park. Sacramento’s minor league venue has flummoxed pitchers, especially Severino, due to its extremely hitter-friendly atmosphere.

Severino has a 6.79 ERA in 10 home starts compared to a 2.27 ERA on the road. The former New York Yankees star didn’t hold back about the situation when returning to Yankee Stadium, via The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.

“It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch,” Severino said.

When asked why he’s fared better outside of Sacramento, Severino responded: “Because we play in a big-league stadium on the road.”

“We don’t have that at home right now,” Severino added. “It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”

The A’s, perhaps realizing the difficulty of attracting top pitchers to play in Sacramento, gave Severino a lucrative contract after he posted a 3.91 ERA with the New York Mets. While the sizable deal could deter his market value, perhaps a contender will note the steep home/road splits and take a chance on the longtime AL East right-hander excelling elsewhere.

If so, Severino won’t be around when the A’s play the Boston Red Sox in a pair of three-game series this September.