Luke Weaver In recent memory, it has been one of the best low-cost pickups for Yankees. Weaver initially landed in the Bronx through a September 2023 waiver claim, excelling in three games of the Yankees that year and impressed enough that the Yankees re-signed him in January after he became a free agent. He moved to the bullpen in 2024, making his 2mm base salary look like a raucous bargain. Yankees opted for $2.5mm option on Weaver in 2025 As Like he had been in 24 years, he remained a major member of the Relief Corps.
Weaver plans to return to free agents for the second time this offseason, and his stock is much higher than the last time. The 32-year-old is one of the most important relief workers on the market…unless he follows the same path as his former teammate Clay Sherlock Holmes and watch the signs of rotation back to rotation. Teams in the league will be interesting in this case, but when asked about the possibility, Weaver himself told Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post on the podcast that he was open to it:
“Being a starting pitcher for so long – you don’t expect to be a relaxer. Honestly, being a starting pitcher has to be the best job in the major leagues – especially when it goes well. However, I just found this niche. I just found that ability is a little different and using my background to start investing in my way.
…The door is open. I will never say, “Absolutely not.” Time is up, let’s talk. Clay has done a great job in this transition this year. I don’t know what people are talking about, but I looked from a distance and I was proud of him. This is a cool thing he accomplished. Transition, I don’t think people really understand – it’s crazy. I praise him for doing so. It might be cool to see this too. We see it happening from time to time. The team is more strategic. So, yes, I’m very open to it, but I’m not just like ‘yes, I want to do that,’ or, ‘yes, I want to do this. Let’s sit at the table. Let’s have a conversation and see what looks like and what’s the best [puts me in position] Be the most successful. If they were there, I wanted to have these options. ”
Weaver started his starting career with enough early success. The former Florida State University stands out as the Cardinal’s No. 27 draft pick in 2014 and entered the major leagues just two years later. His first game was tough, but in 2017, Weaver played 10 games (and 3 relief performances) for the Cardinals in one season, which allowed him to see 60 1/3 innings of 3.88 Era Ball. He threw 136 1/3 innings in 2018 and registered 4.95 ERA before co-issuance (with Carson Kelly) The return of the Rattlesnake Paul GoldschmidtHe was traded to St. Louis before his first crack in free agency.
In 2019, Weaver looked great with Arizona. He started twelve games and shot 64 1/3 innings with an average running rate of 2.94, strikeout rate of 26.5% and walking rate of 5.4%. However, flexor stress eliminated nearly two-thirds of the season, and the right-handed struggled when Weaver returned as the 2020 season was shortened. Weaver went all out to 12 games and got solid strikeouts and walking rates, but he was also very prone to home runs (1.73 hr/9) and rose to 6.58 ERA in just 52 innings.
Shoulder and elbow injuries have plagued weavers from 2021-23. Over the three seasons, he posted a 5.80 ERA sum in 225 innings between 225 innings, but as mentioned earlier, he impressed the Yankees. Heyman noted in the podcast that offseason Weaver’s chances include a major league deal to return to the Yankees, a series of minor league deals with spring training invitations, or some options overseas. He chose to sign a one-year contract with the Yankees and was reborn in the Bronx.
Pass 145 1/3rd innings Aaron BooneWeaver’s Bullpen reached 3.28 ERA, strikeout efficiency of 29.6%, walking rate of 7.9%, ground ball rate of 32.2% and 1.24 hr/9. He rose to 95.4 mph earlier in his career as a starting pitcher at an average of 93.8 mph. He mostly canceled a harder, stronger cutter in the low mid-80s sliders and worked on a four-join/change/cutter mix, which worked very well for him.
At least on the surface, this three parity mixture seems to give Weaver a good chance to transition to a spinning job. When Holmes arrived at free agent market last winter, he was already the same age as he was. On the other hand, the Holmes “6’5″, 245-pound frame is more than the typical starter than the Weaver’s slight, 6’2”, 180-pound frame. This is not to say that Weaver can’t make a similar transition, but thinner builds are less common among starters, and they tend to lean a little on the larger side (this is natural given the physical demands of starter workload).
In any case, Weaver will likely be interested in this winter as a candidate for rotation under radar. This year, many of the expected names of the Free agency are struggling, whether it is injury or a lower score than expected on the opening day. Dylan stops,,,,, Michael King,,,,, Zach Gallen,,,,, Zach Eflin,,,,, Nestor Cortes,,,,, Walker Buehler and Dustin May Just some of the many free agent platforms pitchers in a year. Weaver might come up with an interesting option, especially since he proves that if he reaches out, he can succeed in a brief relief role.
Weaver made it clear that he was also very interested in re-signing with the Yankees, but he would see all the opportunities for free agents this winter. His openness to retreat should lead to a wider range of team areas that may be interested and give him more consideration to the possibilities. For now, it is understandable that the right’s focus is on getting into the playoffs as deep as possible in the playoffs, but he will be a more fascinating free agent in the 2025-26 winter than in the 2023-24 winter.
Fans – especially Yankees fans – will want to see the full interview, during which Weaver discusses (among many other topics) trying to get as much rigor as possible, depending on the circumstances they face, and his thoughts on the AL MVP competition among close friends, there are some key differences in the pitcher’s mindset. Judge Aaron and Cal Raleigh.
