For the first seven seasons of his MLB career, things did not go well for Luke Weaver as a starting pitcher. The right-hander posted a 4.79 ERA in three seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and a 4.72 ERA in three and one-half seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
By the late months of 2023, he had already played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Seattle Mariners when the New York Yankees acquired him in a trade. A three-game stint in September impressed the Yankees enough that they brought him back for 2024, and Weaver suddenly became one of the most dependable bullpen arms in baseball.
Weaver’s reliability should help him land a nice contract in free agency this offseason. However, it’s unclear if he will return to the Yankees after a rocky performance in 2025.
“But this past season, at least in terms of the surface-level stats, Weaver took a significant step back,” MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa wrote Saturday. “He carried over his dominance from the prior year into the first couple of months of the 2025 campaign, but he was sidelined by a left hamstring injury in early June, and upon returning, he struggled.”
Randhawa noted that in 2025, Weaver’s expected ERA, opponents’ expected batting average, and chase rate were superior compared to the season prior. That’s just one of the reasons the journalist thinks Weaver can provide a “big boost” for the club he signs with.
Devin Williams’ likely departure could propel the Yankees to offer Weaver a contract, but he also reportedly said he is open to making starts again.
Weaver’s personal decision on whether to remain in the bullpen or resume his career as a starter should significantly affect his market.
Conor Liguori is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He grew up in Westchester County, New York, and enjoys watching basketball and hockey in his free time. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL and LBPRC in Puerto Rico. His work has been featured on Athlon, Heavy and other outlets.