Luis Severino addresses Athletics trade rumors, recent ballpark comments originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Athletics ace Luis Severino on Sunday addressed the trade rumors involving him and his controversial comments about playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.
“I mean, if they trade me or not, I’m going to keep grinding, trying to be my best self, going out there,” Severino told reporters in New York before the A’s 12-5 loss to the Yankees. “I can’t do nothing about if they get mad or not. If you ask me how I feel about pitching at home, I’m not going to lie to you, because in the end, you guys are going to figure out if it’s a lie or not. So my job here is to pitch, and every time you ask me a question, [I am] honest with you guys, so that’s what I did.
“I was not trying to hurt nobody’s feelings by saying that. But I think I’m not the only one who feels the same way. As I said, I’m going to try my best to focus on what I need to do and improve. I feel pretty good; I feel healthy; I feel like the movement on my pitches is there. I just need to get in a good stretch.”
Severino, 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA at home during the 2025 MLB season, didn’t hold back.
He clearly isn’t a fan of the big-league experience at Sutter Health Park, also the home of the Sacramento River Cats, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. Severino, too, suggested that other A’s players feel similarly.
Severino’s latest comments align with what he told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty on Friday before the A’s dropped the series-opener against the ace’s former team.
“It feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch,” Severino said about playing at Sutter Health Ballpark.
“We don’t have that at home right now,” Severino added about the environment in West Sacramento. “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 31-year-old Severino couldn’t have changed his stance more since signing a three-year free-agent contract worth up to $67 million with an opt-out after the second season — an A’s franchise-record deal — in the winter.
Then, Severino was optimistic about the A’s temporary home, and general manager David Forst was proud of what the partnership signaled toward MLB players skeptical about pro ball in West Sacramento.
“We’ve sent plans to players so they can see what we’re building,” Forst said at Severino’s introductory press conference on Dec. 6. “We’re doing the best we can to make this a Major League facility. We’ve embraced it. The fact Luis is here today hopefully sends a message around the game.”
Well, Severino might not be around for much longer.
The vibes around Severino’s standing with the A’s are murky. And USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Green and Gold plan to move on from Severino.
“The Athletics, who gave starter Luis Severino a three-year, $67 million contract, are now open to trading him after he continues to bash the environment in Sacramento, agitating the organization,” Nightengale wrote. “He’s 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA in 10 starts in Sacramento and 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in seven starts on the road. … “It may come as a surprise if he’s still with the organization come August.”
Severino’s time with the A’s might be coming to an end sooner rather than later. And maybe, it would be best for the two parties to split, as neither side has gotten what they wanted thus far.
The A’s are 34-52 with a month before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.