The New York Yankees will save money with the Luis Severino extension

 Luis Severino has been one of the best pitchers in the league throughout the previous two seasons. While the New York Yankees paid a fair share to the starter, they will likely save money during the next four years.

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino called his mother Saturday saying he didn’t win any arbitration case the day before. But he mentioned he earned a lot of money for at least the next four seasons.

As fans know, the New York pitcher agreed to a contract extension for four years worth $40 million. Per Severino, that’s more money than he’s ever had – with his family members already taking notice.

For the Yankees, it seems like an absolute steal, and a well-handled situation by the front office.

The Yankees are not the first team to avoid arbitration with an up-and-coming All-Star by offering an extension. Jorge Polanco, Whit Merrifield and Aaron Nola all made the same decision with their respective teams.

Severino, like all of the other players, could arguably be worth more than his deal in New York. Although, the young star might be thinking on a year-by-year basis in his scenario. He was slated to make between $4.4 and $5.2 million in 2019, per a source from The Athletic.

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Now the Yankees starter has an opportunity to focus on maintaining his health and look toward a more lucrative contract when he turns 29 or 30.

For New York, it’s a safe bet that its ace will continue to pitch well during that span. Severino is one of the only pitchers in league to rank in the top 20 in several pitching categories in both 2017 and 2018, including WHIP, strikeouts per nine innings and strikeouts-per-walk ratio.

Meanwhile, All-Star veteran Dallas Keuchel was projected to earn at least $16 million a year when he signed a contract this winter. Also, more-seasoned pitchers like Nathan Eovaldi and Lance Lynn are each making more than $15 million a year.

Another aspect to consider is the unpredictability of arbitration cases and players’ performances. Mookie Betts agreed to a one-year deal in 2018 for more than $10 million. After winning the American League MVP award, the outfielder now makes double in order to avoid arbitration.

Nolan Arenado, who is just two years older than Severino, will make $26 million in the upcoming year to avoid arbitration. Had the Yankees waited until next season, Severino could have earned arguably three times as much money as he was projected to earn this year.

Of course, the Dominican still needs to perform for the World Series contenders this upcoming season. The right-hander was electric in last year’s first half, owning a 2.31 ERA and 14-2 record by the All-Star Break.

But the typically-consistent Severino floundered for much of the second half. He posted just four quality starts during his final 15 outings.

While his troubles didn’t carry into the Wild Card matchup against Oakland, they did against rival Boston in the playoffs. The champions blasted Severino for six earned runs across just three innings.

Nevertheless, Severino’s ability to adjust to adversity and still finish the season ranked where he did is impressive. But he has to maintain his solid numbers across 33 starts a year, rather than half that amount.

If he does that, the Yankees might save upwards of $15 million based on the current contract. And that money can be used to establish a better rotation around the budding star.