The Padres are in agreement on a split contract with catcher Pedro Severino, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). The deal will pay him $1.95MM if he’s in the majors and contains an additional $550K in performance bonuses, according to Murray. Severino will not secure an immediate spot on the 40-man roster, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Severino, 29, has appeared in the majors in each of the past eight seasons. He broke in as a depth player with the Nationals, suiting up in 35 combined games between 2015-17. The backstop got a fair amount of action over the next four seasons, which he split between the Nats and Orioles. While he struggled mightily during his final season in Washington, he posted respectable offensive numbers for a catcher during his three years in Baltimore.
From 2019-21, Severino hit .249/.315/.397 through 938 plate appearances. He connected on 29 home runs with roughly league average strikeout and walk numbers. Nevertheless, the Orioles non-tendered him in lieu of a projected $3.1MM arbitration salary last offseason.
While partially motivated by the forthcoming arrival of Adley Rutschman, the O’s decision also reflected Severino’s defensive shortcomings. Public metrics have pegged him as a well below-average defender behind the dish. He routinely rates as a worse than average pitch framer, per Statcast, which pegged him as 10 runs below par in that regard in 2021. Severino was behind the plate for 10 passed balls and 66 wild pitches in 883 innings during his final season with the Orioles. That was the second-highest total in MLB in both categories, and while the pitching staff surely shoulders some of the responsibility, it didn’t reflect especially well on his work as a receiver.
After being cut loose by Baltimore, he caught on with the Brewers on a $1.9MM free agent deal. Before the season started, Severino tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene. He attributed the result to an unintentional byproduct of fertility treatments he’d undergone in the Dominican Republic.
Severino was suspended 80 games. In the immediate aftermath of that ban, Milwaukee acquired Víctor Caratini from the Padres to pair with Omar Narváez. The Brewers reinstated Severino in July, but he appeared in just eight games as the team’s #3 catcher before being designated him for assignment. He went unclaimed on waivers and played out the season at Triple-A Nashville, where he hit .308/.349/.496 with four homers over 126 plate appearances.
The right-handed hitter qualified for minor league free agency at year’s end. He finds a new landing spot in San Diego, the fourth organization of his career. The Friars presently have Austin Nola, Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan (coincidentally part of the trade package for Caratini) as backstops on the 40-man roster. Severino slides in behind that group as a depth option.
Cheap backup aight
Never yet saw a cheap backup that wasn’t cheap..
Ahhh- ite den.
A catcher that can’t hit or play defense with a history of PED use… 1.95 mill still feels like an overpay.
More than you make..
And hopefully wearing more than you.
Nah, I love this natural look.
but if i make more than you does that mean I win the internet?
Preller thinks that’s a bargain.
Is the Padres 40-man roster at 80 ppl yet?
Obviously
I don’t know, but it’s at two 80 game suspension victims!
The only victims are the fans
Yes so far, but there’s always next year. At least they keep hope alive every off season and trade deadline.
Haha..best comment I seen in awhile.
Actually Lugo and Severino (likely not on with split AAA/MLB deal) so +1 .. Pads still only 37/40 (Tatis makes it 38/40 on 4/20/22) but 3 spots open til then
Yeah seems rather pointless
5/110 Heyman tweeted
HA! 5 months $110?
He also referred to him as Pedro Beef-a-reeno
I like this move. Didn’t cost any major league personnel.
Just a major league roster spot
It’s a split contract, they don’t have to roster him on the big league team.
It’s a split contract. I don’t think they even have to add him to the 40-man roster unless he is called up.
So much for trading SD a catcher
I’m not sure about that. Catchers get hurt a lot. Good to have a lot of them available. Padres could still be interested in one of the Blue Jays catchers.
Alfaro for less. After 3 years in Baltimore I was surprised that he played so little in Milwaukee. Was he hurt?
That’s a good, no risk signing for the Padres.
Ahhh Clomiphene suspension.
A byproduct of being just too fertile.
A byproduct of not being fertile enough. Clomid is prescribed in fertility treatments for men with low sperm counts. It is also prescribed to help improve male fertility by correcting hormonal imbalances and to increase hormone production. The 2nd usage is why it’s a banned substance for MLB players.
Interesting..I’m guessing Campusano goes to DH..Smart move by AJ to fill the DH hole on the cheap.
Its a split contract meaning he will be in the minors. Campy isn’t going to be the dh.
Unless the Padres sign or trade for a power bat, Campusano will probably be the DH when he is not starting behind the plate. Campusano’s strength is hitting, not the defensive side of catching.
If he hits enough to dh then he will catch. My guess is the padres will add another bat to dh.
You have Campusano.
Something tells me that Severino isn’t going to stop Campusano from getting playing time.
Doesn’t it seem that the Pads have been avoiding promoting Campusano, to at least the #2 Catching spot? He shown for awhile that his bat is ready for that job. But yet they seem always to be stockpiling other Catchers.
True, but do you really want your top catching prospect to be put into a back-up catcher role and only play like 60 games a year in the bigs? Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s ready for a shot, but you’re not doing anyone any favors by putting him into a secondary backstop role.
Let’s take an area of surplus and add to it. Pads taking a page out of the Twins approach to outfielders. When you have too much of something, add more players to make it a true glut.
What surplus? The Padres have a total of 3 catchers on the 40-man roster and only two on the active roster, Nola and Campusano. Severino is being signed to the type of contract that allows the Padres to stash him in the minors and off the 40-man roster as a backup in case of injury or of Campusano stumbling in the majors.
Another prohibited substance user? AJ just wants Fernando Ringworm Jr. to not feel so lonely.
Preller votes for Pedro.
Dynamite
Back in 82, ringworm cream could help someone hit a ball a 1/4 mile.
Hit this ball right over dem mountains
We should form a MLBTR betting pool and those who want to participate will each predict the number of total games that all four of their big boppers (Boegarts, Soto, Machado, Tatis) start in the lineup together in 2023. Should we start the kitty at, what, $10 each ???
Better keep Severino and Tatis’ lockers far apart…
Does anyone know if and when he had children?
Imagine having to tell your kid you got suspended from work for trying to make them.