The New York Mets signed first baseman Luis Severino to a one-year, $13 million contract on Nov. 29, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
On January 10, they introduced the bag to the media, along with his former New York Yankees teammate, Harrison Bader.
In his first public appearance as a member of the Mets, Severino was very honest about his thoughts on staying in New York but changing borders.
The year is 2024. He just said,
“I thought I was going to die a Yankee.”
"I thought I was going to die a Yankee"
– Luis Severino pic.twitter.com/bVMMuiRkoV
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) January 10, 2024
He started for the Bombers in 2012 as an 18-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. Severino hit 190 innings twice, the only time he went over 102 innings in a single season.
In those two seasons, the right-hander went 33-14 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 450 strikeouts in 384.2 innings. The build-up for the Yankees comes with a lot of pressure and high expectations.
As former Yankee Jordan Montgomery says, “Lines are heavy.” During Sevey’s tenure, the Bombers made seven playoff appearances, including three appearances in the American League Championship Series.
Although he hasn’t been great in the postseason (5.15 ERA in 43.2 innings), he knows what pressure is. The X SNY account caught Severino expanding on the project.
He said:
“The pressure is what keeps me going.”
I lived in New York for a long time. He appeared in 19 games (18 starts) with the Yankees, averaging 89.1 overall.
According to Metsmerized’s Mojo Hill, Severino said during a chat with reporters that he has issues with his promotion, and there are things he wants to address.
Sevy has been facing legal problems since 2018, he said.
According to FanGraphs, the two issues he’s struggled with lately are his four-pitch fastball and his slider.
Opponent OPS is about the same as his hitters, going from .560 in 2022 to .891 in 2023.
Severino thought he would die a Yankee, but he didn’t. Severino delivered his opening remarks when he introduced the new Mets via Zoom on Wednesday, simply thanking the Yankees before the draft and the team that signed him to a one-year, $13 million deal last month.
Former Yankees ace Severino decided to spend the rest of his life in the Bronx.
“I thought I was going to die as a Yankee,”
Severino said Wednesday while wearing a Mets hat.
New York was where Severino wanted to be.
“What keeps me going is the challenge,”
Severino said. I’m excited to join this Mets team because I want to continue to feel the pressure.”
Both Severino and Bader have proven they can handle the unique challenges that come with playing in this city. One of the reasons Mendoza was hired by Manhattan native David Stearns was watching Aaron Boone coach in New York.
“That’s a little too much,”
Stearns said. The change surprised Budd, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal.
“Anything you can say is a problem in New York, it’s quite the opposite,”
Budd said.
“People put pressure on them, or people think these behaviors burden them in many ways. But if you want, you can take advantage of that pressure and weight and flip it inside out. Let this pressure guide your decisions.”
Bader and Severino will be in trouble next season. Severino turns 30 next month and is coming off the worst season of his career.
The right-hander began the 2023 season with a season-ending injury and ended the season early with an injury.
“I’m looking for ways to get better by teaching and understanding how my body works,”
he said.
“We’re trying to see where my strengths come from and how we can maintain that trajectory throughout the season.”
Bader was traded to the Yankees in 2022 due to injury and underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery on September 11.
“I was in Tampa, with the right people, and I did a lot of research,”
Bader said.
“I’m very confident in the players I have. Combined with my hitting coaches and all the work you guys do behind the scenes, I’m confident going forward.”
Severino and Bader hope to show Mets fans what they’re capable of as they are no more Yankees.
Fans had this to say:
we’ll treat him well yanks fans 🤞🏼
— Damien (@wunnaworld) January 10, 2024
I thought they'd figure something out with either Sevy or Montas, being that they needed 2 starters to add to their current mix, but the money they both got was high even if the term is right. Even so, it wouldn't shock me if he makes his way back down the road.
— HenryKrinkle (@HenryKrinkle16) January 10, 2024
I'm curious how some of our guys would of done with a different medical staff :O. I dunno how they didnt clean house after last year
— Christopher M (@chrismchillz) January 10, 2024
Maybe if you were health longer than one week per season you would have
— BW157 (@Footbase199) January 11, 2024
I felt like I was dying while sitting in my seat at Camden Yards last July 30th when you gave up 6 runs before you recorded an out.
— Mike Weber (@webby1515) January 10, 2024
I mean if you pitched well maybe you would still be one
— Voorhees (@Vuurheez) January 10, 2024
if you stayed healthy and didn’t forget how to pitch you had a good chance
— Exitlight (@exitlights3d) January 10, 2024
Man that’s sad. Wish Sevy the best with the Mets
— Nick Dicola (@NickDicola2) January 10, 2024
We thought we were going to die everytime you pitched and gave up 5 runs in the first inning
— FeverRisin_$$$ (@toptenfanduel) January 10, 2024
why did he have to say that ??? 😢😢😢
— Joseph Gonzalez (@Acehardlight98) January 10, 2024
If he plays a full season, idk why the Yankees wouldn’t take him back…. But didn’t he sign right out the gates?
— DrewStarks (@drewdrewstarks) January 10, 2024
Well you didn’t. Go pitch for the little brothers in queens. ✌🏼✌🏼
— Pat (@fatkidfromgwl) January 10, 2024
