After signing Harrison Bader and Luis Severino to one-year deals, the New York Mets are now hoping two former New York Yankees can reignite their careers after wearing out their welcomes across town.
Luis Severino will try to return to ace form with Mets
Severino was once an ace for the Yankees, pitching for a stellar 2.98 ERA and 230 strikeouts across 193.1 innings in 2017. But after eight seasons in the Bronx and a 2023 campaign that ended with a high-grade oblique strain, the 29-year-old entered free agency and received a one-year, $13 million opportunity to bounce back with the Mets.
If Severino is going to make the most of that chance and have the kind of 2024 season that earns him a longer-term deal for the next one, he won’t just have to overcome a history of injuries. He will have to address a pitch-tipping problem that was first acknowledged by Yankees manager Aaron Boone in 2018 and has since grown worse.
“A couple of evaluators who monitored Severino closely last season said a tipping component made things challenging against some teams, leading him to be overly aggressive in the zone while not getting away with the same mistakes he had in previous seasons,” The Athletic reported.
An increasing tipping problem could explain some of Severino’s growing struggles and an ERA that ballooned to 6.65 last season. The good news is that, if fixed, he has a chance to return to form with a new uniform on in 2024.
Harrison Bader is bringing his Gold Glove to Queens
The Mets are also bringing on Bader, who was acquired by the Yankees from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Jordan Montgomery in 2022. The Yankees ended up placing Bader on waivers last season and he finished his year with the Cincinnati Reds.
Though Bader has struggled with injuries and at the plate in seven MLB seasons, averaging a career .243/.310/.396 slash line, he is a plus defender at a premium position in center field. He took home the Gold Glove in 2021 and his hitting might improve with a new approach from a new team.
Jack Oliver of Jomboy Media noted that Bader has much more success against left-handed pitching. In 97 plate appearances against lefties last season, Bader slashed .299/.361/.575. If utilized in a platoon split this way, he could prove to be much more successful with the Mets than he was with the Yankees.
Between Bader and Severino, the Mets have two one-year players with significant upside. They may not have a home with the Yankees anymore but both players have the chance to play in New York for years to come.
