Chicago Cubs Keeping an Eye on A's Ace as Trade Deadline Nears

Another day, another player on the Athletics roster that the Chicago Cubs are keeping an eye on. This time, it's A's ace Luis Severino, who signed a three year, $67 million deal with the club back in December, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. He also mentioned Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates as options for Chicago.

For Luis Severino, it's been a tale of two seasons. At home, he has an ERA of 6.79, while on the road he's been much better, holding a 2.27 mark. Combined, he's 2-8 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.

Yet, there are more considerations at play here than just making a simple swap. The most pressing for the Cubs would be the return they'd have to send over to the Athletics in a potential deal, and how much of Severino's contract they'd be willing to take on. He's making $20 million this season, so depending on when he's moved (if at all), that figure would sit somewhere under $10 million after being prorated.

Severino is also due $25 million in 2026, and has a player option for $22 million in 2027. Player options are tricky, because they're usually exercised when a player isn't sure they'd make more on the market after underperforming the previous season.

So that's the first hurdle, finding out the logistics of a potential deal. The A's will be after arms in return, and perhaps a fielder with a good glove as a bench option. The A's defense ranks among the worst in baseball, and with so many positions getting settled among their young core, they'll need to make improvements in any way that is available to them.

Another factor would be the home/road splits. As we discussed when Luis Urías was linked to the Cubs, both Craig Counsell and A's manager Mark Kotsay have mentioned that Sutter Health Park plays most similarly to Wrigley Field, due to the impact of the wind from day-to-day.

While Severino's road numbers would suggest an increased production with a new team, Wrigley would be a park that would come with some questions. That said, Severino's issues at home seem to stem more from not having the amenities available to him while he's pitching--or even being able to visit the home clubhouse due to the park's configuration. That could mean that Severino would be just fine at Wrigley.

In two starts on the North Side of Chicago, Severino is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA across 13 innings.

Yet, the largest factor in this whole process is whether or not the Athletics would actually trade Severino. As we noted this morning, this Trade Deadline isn't just about building the team for the future and getting rid of any unwanted or expiring contracts. That's the job of a typical front office. For the A's, they have more connected to the righty.

When the A's signed him, they made it a point to give him $67 million, which beat the franchise record for largest contract by a total of $1 million. They got the headlines about the A's handing out that type of deal once they left Oakland, which is something they'd been promising would happen when they got a ballpark.

To then turn around and move that specific player just seven months later would cast a bit of doubt onto whether or not the team has actually changed. It's unclear what type of pitcher or glove-first prospect could make up for that type of a PR hit. The Red Sox have traded both Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers in recent years, but they have a built-in fanbase that will stick with them through the tough times.

The A's have shunned their fans in Oakland and currently don't have that base of fans that would be able to get them through yet another notable trade of a franchise star.