Luis Severino has become the centerpiece of the Yankees' rotation before reaching his 25th birthday, and New York moved Friday to get some cost certainty with the young starter.
Severino has agreed to a four-year deal worth at least $40 million that also includes a club option for a fifth year, multiple outlets reported. The New York Post was first with news of the deal.
Breakdown of Luis Severino's deal, per source:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 15, 2019
2019: $4M+$2M bonus
2020: $10M
2021: $10.25M
2022: $11M
2023 (club option): $15M with $2.75M buyout
Interesting part of that: higher salaries in '20 and '21, lower than usual in '22. Why? Protection against a work stoppage.
Severino, who turns 25 next Wednesday, was arbitration-eligible for the first time as a "Super 2" player, so the four guaranteed years in his new deal will cover all of his arbitration seasons, while the option would cover his first potential year as a free agent.
An All-Star the last two seasons, he also has finished in the top 10 of AL Cy Young voting each of the last two years, outperforming veteran teammates like CC Sabathi, Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray along the way.
Severino's deal is similar to the one the Phillies made with 25-year-old starter Aaron Nola earlier this week — four years plus a team option for a fifth, with $45 million guaranteed.
