Despite their Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento and their uncertain future, the Athletics are trying to compete. They made it clear that they are not trading designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker, and now, they just made a huge splash in free agency.

Luis Severino is signing a three-year, $67 million contract with the A's according to ESPN's MLB insider Jeff Passan.

Severino's contract has an opt-out after the second year, per Passan.

Earlier this offseason, Severino, a two-time All-Star, rejected the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer that the New York Mets extended to him. That means that by signing Severino, the A's will give up their third-highest pick in the 2025 draft.

The 30-year-old Severino played a key role for the New York Mets during their surprising run to the NLCS in 2024, pitching to an 11-7 record with a 3.91 ERA through 182 innings in 31 starts. 2024 was a bounce-back season for Severino, who had a 6.65 ERA with the New York Yankees in 2023.

Severino's three-year, $67 million deal is the largest guaranteed contract in A's history. Before Severino, their largest contract was when they signed third baseman Eric Chavez to a six-year, $66 million extension in 2004.

Why the Athletics signed Luis Severino 

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By bringing in Severino, the A's now have a legitimate, front-end veteran starting pitcher to anchor their young staff. With Severino now in the fold, along with JP Sears, who had a promising 2024 season, 23-year-old Joey Estes and a bullpen led by the flame-throwing Mason Miller, the A's could have one of the better pitching staffs in baseball in the 2025 season.

On the offensive end, players like Rooker, outfielders Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday, second baseman Zack Gelof and catcher Shea Langeliers are all quality Major League starters. Rooker was especially impressive, slashing .293/.365/.562 with 39 home runs and 112 RBI in 2024.

Most importantly, the fact that the A's were willing to offer a contract like this to Severino, the largest in their organization's history, shows that despite their controversial move away from Oakland, they are still committed to putting together a competitive team.

While adding Severino, a proven veteran with legitimate postseason experience, is a great start, the A's still have a few holes on their roster. They could still use more depth in their starting rotation, a few bullpen pieces to help support Miller and a starting-caliber third baseman. If they are willing to keep spending, then the A's could end up being a potential threat in the AL West.