Toronto Blue Jays Reportedly Showing Interest in Free Agent Pitcher Luis Severino

Luis Severino, fresh off a bounce-back season with the New York Mets, could be one of the Toronto Blue Jays' top targets if they miss out on Juan Soto and Max Fried.

Oct 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino (40) reacts after an out against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning during game three of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are interested in free agent starting pitcher Luis Severino, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Wednesday.

Severino is not the biggest fish the Blue Jays are hunting, as their pursuit of superstar Juan Soto is already well-documented. Multiple reports have surfaced connecting them to Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Alex Bregman as well, all of which Nicholson-Smith reinforced in his most recent breakdown of the team's targets.

If none of those top-tier free agents decide to sign with Toronto, however, Severino makes sense as a backup plan.

The 30-year-old right-hander went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 161 strikeouts and a 1.6 WAR across 31 starts for the New York Mets in 2024. He then went 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.380 WHIP in the playoffs, helping the Mets make a surprise run to the NLCS in the process.

Severino was on a one-year, $13 million contract in New York, spending the previous nine seasons on the other side of town.

The New York Yankees made good use of Severino over the years, starting when he went 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 2.0 WAR as a rookie in 2015. He was named an All-Star in 2017 and 2018 – placing third and ninth in AL Cy Young voting, respectively.

Severino made just three starts in 2019 due to shoulder and lat injuries, and he missed all of 2020 after tearing the UCL in his right elbow. Tommy John surgery and an additional groin injury limited Severino to four relief innings in 2021 as well, and he only made 19 starts in 2022 thanks to another lat strain.

Despite all the injuries, Severino still went 42-18 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.064 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings between 2018 and 2022, averaging a 4.6 WAR per 162 games. He went 4-8 with a 6.65 ERA, 1.646 WHIP and -1.5 WAR in 2023, though, marking a disappointing end to his time with the Yankees.

Severino bounced back with the Mets in 2024, and now he is primed to land a solid deal on the open market.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted Severino would net a three-year, $51 million contract, while The Athletic had him at three years, $50 million. Spotrac calculated his market value to be $85.5 million over four years.

Toronto currently has José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt penciled into its rotation, with the trio of former All-Stars combining to make 94 starts in 2024. Beyond them is Bowden Francis, who strung together a record-breaking second half to assert himself in the race for a starting spot moving forward.

As it stands, a handful of pitchers are in the running for the fifth and final spot, considering the once-promising Alek Manoah and top prospect Ricky Tiedemann could both miss most of 2025 recovering from elbow surgery.

Yariel Rodríguez made 21 starts as a rookie in 2024, although the Cuban righty could easily get bumped into the bullpen. While 23-year-old prospect Jake Bloss is another option, he put up a 6.94 ERA in his three MLB starts last season.

Alternatively, a free agent addition like Severino, Fried or Burnes could take over and give the Blue Jays a respectable five-man unit with depth to spare.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.