8-Year Veteran Catcher Elects Free Agency Following 2022 Suspension

Seasoned catcher Pedro Severino has decided to exercise his opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

Despite his solid offensive track record and a solid .876 OPS in 75 plate appearances at Triple-A El Paso, Severino had been struggling to secure regular playing time with the team.

In other news:

Catcher Pedro Severino has been released. He had an .876 OPS in 18 games with @epchihuahuas but had only played in four games since April 25.

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) May 17, 2023

The Padres, who had signed Severino during the offseason, chose not to promote him to the major league roster and instead granted his release.

Severino, who had previously served an 80-game suspension last season due to a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, has faced limited opportunities in the majors over the past two years.

Pedro Severino hitting a 3-run homer on the very first major league pitch from someone was such a good bit pic.twitter.com/3BTDk3xewR

— Rose Mountkatzle (@NaturallyKatz11) May 10, 2023

Despite his potential to provide a boost with his .248/.316/.396 batting line since 2019, the Padres opted to stick with their defensively-minded catcher duo of Austin Nola and Brett Sullivan.

In addition, he has 29 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 86 runs scored since 2019 and across 265 games played.

As a result, Severino made the decision to explore other opportunities as a free agent. The 29-year-old catcher hopes to find a team that can offer him a more significant role and playing time.

Severino's impressive performance in Triple-A and his experience in parts of eight major league seasons make him an attractive option for teams in need of catching depth. Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports