MLB Exec Says Pitching Market Is 'Through the Roof' After Severino's $67M Contract

Luis Severino's contract with The Athletics has set the tone for a lucrative free-agent pitching market.

The A's shocked the baseball world by dipping into their pockets and signing the 30-year-old to a three-year, $67 million deal on Thursday. It was the largest contract offered in franchise history and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that it has only raised the value of the other free-agent pitchers still available ahead of the winter meetings.

"The market for pitching is insane right now," an NL executive told Feinsand. "It's through the roof."

Severino certainly earned a solid deal after going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA for the New York Mets in 2024. He will be a top-of-rotation starter for the A's as the team prepares for its eventual move to Las Vegas and could signal a change in approach for a franchise that is notorious for a low payroll.

However, he was not the top arm available on the market and his hefty contract will only make Corbin Burnes and Max Fried worth even more to whatever team can snag them.

"There are two tier-one guys, and more than two teams [are] looking for a guy like that," the NL exec told Feinsand. "The prices just keep going up."

Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 194.1 innings for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. He is a four-time All-Star, a former Cy Young winner, and a consistent ace with postseason experience. Fried went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA in 174.1 innings for the Atlanta Braves in 2024 and is the top remaining southpaw on the market.

With Severino making an average of $22.3 million per season in his contract, Burnes and Fried could easily reach the $40 million range per season while Nick Pivetta, Jack Flaherty, Nathan Eovaldi and Sean Manea could exceed $30 million per season.