Phillies Trade Idea Adds Former Cy Young Finalist After Aaron Nola Move

If the Philadelphia Phillies’ latest World Series window is closing, it might be time to add a former All-Star pitcher who is all too familiar with the NL East.

The Phillies need another arm, especially after placing struggling veteran Aaron Nola on the injured list on Friday with a right ankle problem. Although there is no indication that Nola will miss extended time, he’s also 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA and 11 homers allowed over 49.2 innings.

Regardless of whether or not the Phillies feel they can trust Nola in the postseason, that shouldn’t keep them from at least calling the Athletics about ex-New York Yankees star Luis Severino.

It’s been a mixed bag thus far for Severino, who went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.7 bWAR for the New York Mets last year. Severino threw six scoreless innings in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the Giants, striking out six and only walking one.

By and large, Severino has been solid in the first season of a three-year, $67 million contract. Although a rough start to May inflated his overall stats, he nonetheless tallied a 3.30 ERA and averaged six innings over his first seven starts.

Severino is 1-4 with a 4.22 ERA and 1.8 bWAR for an A’s team quickly falling in the AL West standings. The Athletics are 5-9 in May and could potentially sell at the deadline.

No one will dispute that Severino is long removed from the dominant righty who posted consecutive top-10 Cy Young finishes for the Yankees in 2017-18. However, he’s remained extremely durable the last two years, which is excellent news for a Phillies team chasing its first championship since 2008.

Athletics starting pitcher Luis SeverinoKevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Severino won’t come cheap, especially with $25 million guaranteed next year. The two-time All-Star also owns a $22 million player option for 2027, and players at that stage in their career (Severino turns 33 in February 2027) rarely pass on that kind of money.

The Phillies don’t need Severino, per se, not in the way they need another outfield bat. But suppose Severino is available, and the Phillies would rather have him start a playoff game instead of Taijuan Walker or Ranger Suárez.

In that case, the Phillies may as well inquire about a potential trade. Why not go all-in, especially with the Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres still lurking in the NL?

Phillies Trade Idea Adds Former Cy Young Finalist After Aaron Nola Move

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