Yankees to call up No. 1 prospect Severino

After a week of trade rumors, Yankees top prospect Luis Severino is finally on the move -- to the Bronx.

The Yankees, who refused to include Severino in potential Trade Deadline deals this past week, will call up their prized right-hander to make his Major League debut early next week, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. The team did not confirm when Severino will debut, but he would line up to start on Aug. 4 against the Red Sox.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Severino's next start will be in the Majors, and that the team was "not close" to making a Trade Deadline deal after refusing to part with the young righty, Hoch said.

According to Hoch, "Severino will have no innings limit. They prepared early in the season so he would be ready for this."

Severino, who won't turn 22 until next February, dominated in his last start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 29, striking out a career-high 10 and holding Lehigh Valley to one hit over six innings to improve to a perfect 7-0 in the International League. The 6-foot right-hander has certainly proven himself at the Minors' highest level, going 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 17 walks in 61 1/3 innings since earning a promotion from Double-A Trenton. Overall, he's 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 99 1/3 frames this season.

Severino's name was mentioned in multiple trade rumors this week, with the Yankees standing firm on their refusal to include the right-hander in a potential trade for Padres closer Craig Kimbrel, Reds stopper Aroldis Chapman or former Tigers right-hander David Price. Fellow top prospects Aaron Judge, Greg Bird and Jorge Mateo were also said to be off the table in trade discussions

Cashman told reporters the team considered calling up Severino earlier during the team's series in Texas.

"We could not find a match. In most cases, it was our opponents trying to peel away the Judges, the Severinos," Cashman said, according to WFAN's Sweeny Murti.

Severino signed with the Yankees in 2012 and is 23-11 with a 2.30 ERA in 67 career Minor League outings, 65 of which were starts. He's struck out 323 and walked 81 in 321 innings, allowing just eight home runs in four years.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi praised Severino earlier this year in Spring Training, when the righty struck out five and allowed two runs over 2 2/3 innings in two relief outings.

"He challenges people," Girardi said. "I really liked his approach. I mean, obviously you can see the stuff is there. It's easy to get excited about that. But the approach is really good, too."

Cashman: Severino's next start will be at the Major League level

- Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 31, 2015