catcher Pedro Severino triggered a opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Padres, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link). He returned to the open market after the Brothers allowed him to be released instead of adding him to the roster of the major leagues.
Severino, 29, has appeared in eight major league seasons. He was a substitute for the National Team for a couple of years before starting to run for the Orioles in 2019-21. As an offensive catcher, Severino has never been highly post-dish in public defense scoring. The O’s cut him off after 2021 with Adley Rutschman close to the profession. He signed with the Brewers in 2022 but was suspended before the start of the season after failing a performance-enhancing drug test. He only appeared in eight games for Milwaukee.
The brothers signed Severino to a minor league over the winter. He was assigned to Triple-A El Paso, where he scored 75 appearances across 18 games. The right-handed hitter produced a solid .286/.400/.476 line with three home runs and more walks (12) than strikes (10). However, he only threw out three of the 20 base stealers attempted in 132 innings 1/3 of the job.
San Diego failed to give Severino a major tournament spot despite substantial attacks from their catchers. The brothers did not have Luis Campusano since mid-April because of a torn ligament in the left thumb. They switched to a combination of Austin Nola And Brett Sullivan behind the dish. Nola is hitting 0.161/.253/.209 with three extra base hits in 102 appearances on disc. Sullivan scored 0.176/,200/,324 in his first 35 major league trips.
Severino’s .248/.316/.396 hit from 2019 suggests he could have made a hit at the plate. Instead, the Friars will stick with the more defensive-minded Nola and Sullivan duo. Severino will be looking for other opportunities in the free agency company.
