The New York Yankees secured the services of 31-year-old reliever Luke Weaver, who bounced back from a difficult blown save in the ALDS , after picking up the club option for the 2025 season, per New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez.
Weaver, a journeyman right-hander, spent most of his career toiling as an ineffective starter for the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2023, the Yankees claimed Weaver off of waivers. They began using him as a reliever in 2024 and plugged him as a closer after Clay Holmes lost the job in September. Weaver finished the 2024 season with a 7-3 record, 84 innings pitched with a 2.89 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 103 K.
Retooling the Yankees for another World Series run
The Yankees’ starting pitching was supposed to be a team strength, but ultimately, it let them down in the World Series. John Smoltz even said Gerrit Cole’s performance in Game 5 was the best he’s ever seen, so take that for what it’s worth. But where do the Yankees go from here?
Securing Weaver makes sense, but the Yankees need to overhaul their bullpen after injuries and minor league reassignments reshaped the staff over the 2024 season…