Hunter Martin/Getty Images
The Athletics made a suprising early splash in free agency after they "faced some pressure" to do so, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.
Per Castillo, the free-agent acquisition of starting pitcher Luis Severino was "widely viewed as a significant overpay" around the majors.
The Athletics signed Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract on Dec. 5. The deal given to the right-hander contained the largest guarantee in the franchise's history.
This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.
For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.