Luis Severino looks lost on the mound, and Sal Licata says he is the latest in a long line of Yankee prospects that broke into the league with loads of promise, enjoyed immediate stardom, and quickly flamed out.
“The Yankees, they build these guys up, they hold on to them, and they don’t produce,” Sal said.
“Even Severino is another one. I know he got hurt…I’m more concerned about player development. Gleyber [Torres], Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, [Estevan] Florial, Sanchez…there’s a lot of guys they wouldn’t trade. If they’re gonna hold on to the prospects and be reluctant to trade them for a big piece at the trade deadline or the offseason, they better pan out, and the majority of them have not.”
Severino finished third in the Cy Young voting in 2017 at just 23 years old, and was an All-Star again in 2018 before injuries took over, and now, he has an ERA of 9.48 in his last seven starts. Torres was an All-Star in his first two seasons in the big leagues, and hasn’t replicated that production since his 38-homer season in 2019. Gary Sanchez was arguably the best offensive catcher in all of baseball when he burst onto the scene with a historic rookie campaign, and spent time in the minor leagues this season. The list goes on and on, with exception to Aaron Judge, and Sal says the Yankees have to figure out why.
“Sanchez and Torres are great examples,” Sal said. “These guys were stars here. They arrived, produced, and fell off. What the hell is going on?”
Follow WFAN's morning team on Twitter: @7BOOMERESIASON, @GioWFAN, @Alsboringtweets, @JerryRecco, and @WFANMornings
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)