Back on July 31, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake was asked if the team had discussed sending Luis Severino on a minor league assignment for the purpose of working through his troubles.
The Blue Jays had recently done that with their own struggling starter, Alek Manoah, and Severino was fresh off another disastrous outing. However, Blake said that the Yankees had yet to bring such an idea to Severino, who is out of minor league options and would have to approve such an assignment.
At what point would the Yankees have to consider broaching that conversation?
“It’s good question,” Blake told the Daily News. “It’s one that we’d have to consider in the probably near-term if [Severino’s struggles] continued.
“But at the same time, it’s probably a little bit premature to go that far with him.”
Since then, Severino has allowed 10 hits, nine earned runs, three home runs and four walks over six innings and two games. That includes Wednesday night, when the Yankees used an opener, Ian Hamilton, before bringing Severino, a former Cy Young finalist, out of the bullpen in the second inning.
Severino proceeded to give up five hits, four earned runs and a homer over two innings. The impending free agent now has an 8.06 ERA.
On Wednesday, the idea was for Severino to avoid the initial frame — an especially difficult one for him — but his first inning is still his first inning, no matter when he enters the game.
Afterward, Aaron Boone told reporters that Severino was always going to come in for the start of the second frame. The manager wanted Severino to have a clean inning, and he also wanted to save Hamilton for Friday’s series-opener in Miami. The Yankees have “TBD” listed for that day’s probable pitcher.
Meanwhile, Severino told reporters that he was “a little bit” surprised to come out of the bullpen, but that couldn’t have truly been shocking when, by his own admission, he is having “the worst year of my life in baseball.”
If anything, the Yankees must take more drastic measures, as they simply cannot count on Severino, not when every game matters as the team desperately tries to fight its way into a wild card spot.
Perhaps Severino would reject the idea of a minor league assignment. Perhaps it wouldn’t yield positive results, as Manoah’s have been mixed since he returned to the majors. But the Yankees should have at least considered the conversation by now.
If nothing else, the Yankees could have — and should have — booted Severino from their rotation a few turns ago, and they need to stop relying on him every five days.
Other factors have given Severino additional lives to work with, though. With Domingo Germán receiving treatment for alcohol abuse and Carlos Rodón out with a hamstring injury, the Yankees’ rotation has a few holes in it. Still, youngsters Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez give the club a better shot at winning than Severino does right now.
“We gotta continue to discuss all options,” Boone said, but he added that the team is still working to “get [Severino] right.” Boone also said that he still sees “glimpses” of Severino’s talent, but the reality is that the right-hander is a liability the Yankees cannot afford.
Assuming the Yankees don’t want to cut bait with Severino outright, the most obvious move would be one to the bullpen. There, Severino could try figuring things out as a reliever while pitching and offering length in low-leverage situations.
On Wednesday, Severino said that he’s “willing to do anything to get better.” The Yankees, in some way, shape or form, need to take him up on that offer.
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