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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 08: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics reacts after giving up a walk home during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images)

Things are going very well for the New York Yankees to kick off the 2026 MLB season. At the time of this writing, the Yankees are at the top of the American League East standings with a 17-9 record. They have also been staying hot as the season continues, as they have won each of their last seven games.

With how this season is going for the Yankees, they are setting themselves up to be big buyers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. While they are a very good team, it is clear that they should still be looking to upgrade some spots on their roster.

One specific need that the Yankees have is another veteran starting pitcher. Given all of their injuries to start off the season, it is clear that they should be looking to improve their depth on the mound by the trade deadline. Due to this, the Yankees are now being considered a potential trade destination for one of the league’s most notable starting pitcher trade candidates.

New York Yankees Named Among Top Potential Landing Spots for Athletics’ Luis Severino

In a recent article for Sports Illustrated, Patrick McAvoy ranked the top five trade candidates at this point of the 2026 season. Among the players listed were Athletics pitcher Luis Severino, and it is easy to understand why. Severino has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now and could use a fresh start.

“Severino hasn’t been great so far this season. He has a 6.20 ERA in five starts. But, he has a 3.97 career ERA. The Athletics have been good as well, but that has been the case despite Severino struggling. Potential Landing Spots: New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays,” McAvoy wrote.

With the Yankees in need of more pitching depth, it would make sense if they considered bringing in a two-time All-Star like Severino. This is especially so when noting that he is a pitcher that the Yankees already know well, as he spent his first eight major-league seasons with the AL East club.

If the Yankees struck a deal for Severino, he could slot nicely in the bottom half of their rotation. It would not hurt for the Yankees to acquire a veteran pitcher with a strong resume, like Severino, as they look to go on a real run this fall.

Looking Back on Severino’s Yankees Tenure

The success Severino had during his time with the Yankees could also make them intrigued about the possibility of bringing him back. He made both of his career All-Star Game appearances as a Yankee and had some strong seasons for them. This included in 2022 when he had a 7-3 record and a 3.18 ERA in 19 appearances.

In 141 games over eight seasons with the Yankees, Severino had a 54-37 record, a 3.79 ERA, and 788 strikeouts. Now, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees try to reunite with the 6-foot-2 righty. It would make for a cool story, but more importantly, he would give the Yankees some much-needed pitching depth.

Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa