Why this overlooked Yankees signing could be a sneaky-good addition to replenished pitching staff
In addition to signing Marcus Stroman last week, the Yankees added Luke Weaver on a cheap deal that could pay off
Late last week, the New York Yankees added to their starting rotation in a big way and a small way. The big way is Marcus Stroman. New York signed the 2023 All-Star to a two-year, $37 million contract with a vesting option for a third year. He’ll essentially replace Michael King in the rotation after shipping the latter out as the returning headliner in the Juan Soto trade with the San Diego Padres.
The small way is Luke Weaver, no disrespect intended. The 30-year-old right-hander agreed to a one-year contract worth $2 million a few hours before the Stroman signing. There’s a $2.5 million club option and bonuses that can push the total value to $8.5 million across two years. A small investment, to be sure, but it was a necessary one for the pitching-needy team in the Bronx.
A year ago, Weaver threw 123 2/3 sub-replacement level innings for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and the Yankees. New York claimed him off waivers in September and he gave them one good start and two so-so starts. All told, Weaver allowed five runs in 13 innings as a Yankee. That was apparently enough to convince them he was worth bringing back in 2024.
What do the Yankees see in a journeyman who has a lengthy injury history and has pitched for five different teams in the last two seasons? Let’s explore.
Weaver has primarily worked with a low-to-mid-90s four-seam fastball and a changeup in recent years. He’ll also show a breaking ball to keep hitters honest, but the four-seamer/changeup has been his go-to mix. Last July, Weaver brought back his cutter, a pitch he hadn’t thrown regularly since 2020. He threw 244 cutters in his final 13 appearances after throwing 233 cutters from 2020-22.
“He’s definitely got an interesting mix,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said during a YES Network interview last September. “He’s kinda evolved over the last few years. He’s kind of worked on the cutter lately, and the changeup’s always been really good.”
By the end of the season, Weaver was throwing mostly four-seamers and cutters, with a few changeups as well. It was a different mix than he featured earlier in the year. The Yankees are betting a modest amount the new mix will allow Weaver to contribute competent innings. It’s a $2 million investment. Anything more than competence is a win for the Yankees.
Weaver made 25 starts last season and also four relief appearances. All four relief outings came with the Mariners in late August and early September, during which Weaver threw two innings, one inning, 2 1/3 innings, and 4 1/3 innings. He pitched in short and long relief, and seamlessly bounced between the rotation and bullpen (and then back to the rotation).
