The New York Yankees have not been off to the best start during this MLB free agency period. The only two players the Yankees have signed to major league contracts are Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarborough. Trent Grisham is returning on the qualifying offer, but New York still has decisions to make on free agents like Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger.
Luke Weaver was another top free agent that the Yankees could have retained, but it was announced on Wednesday that the New York Mets reached an agreement with Weaver on a two-year, $22 million deal. Weaver is now the second reliever (Devin Williams) that the cross-town Mets have poached away this offseason.
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Yankees Miss Out on Luke Weaver Sweepstakes
First, breaking the news was Joel Sherman of the NY Post. Â Sherman indicates the deal does not have an opt-out.
Another source of Sherman, indicates that the Yankees did not make a competitive offer to retain Luke Weaver.
It’s unclear what the Yankees plan for relievers next season, but they need to act quickly if they want to land a capable arm, as most of the high-profile bullpen pieces have already inked their lucrative deals. And a few of those signing came from the AL East, so it’s clear the Yanks are falling behind.
GettyLuke Weaver predicted to leave Yankees for surprising role.
Another top reliever free agent in Brad Keller, also signed today with the Philadelphia Phillies. There are still several top-dollar free agents the Yankees can pursue, but the relief market is pretty much sucked up dry, and it’s already been reported that New York will start the 2026 season with injuries to its starting rotation.
Some of the Yankees’ bullpen arms at this very moment include David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Fernando Cruz, and Brent Headrick.
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Luke Weaver Has Been a Journeyman Reliever
Luke Weaver has been a journeyman across his 10-year MLB career, but the 32-year-old really found success with the New York Yankees over parts of three seasons.
After coming up with the Cardinals as a starter, and bouncing around several teams from 2020-2023, Weaver posted a 3.22 ERA with the Yankees over 162 total innings (2023-2025). In 2024, he posted a 2.89 ERA (career-low) over 84 innings. That was just a year removed from an ugly 6.40 earned run average as a starter in 2023.
It was expected that Weaver would demand upwards of $10 million AAV for his last two seasons of contributions, but it is bizarre that the Yankees were not at least more aggressive in pursuing him, as it felt like a good pairing.
However, the reality is the Yankees got another reliever stolen from them by their cross-town rival, and really, it’s another high-profile free agent that the Mets have been able to pry away from the Bronx residents.
The rest of this MLB offseason will be very important for the Yankees, as they must make some additions if they want to stay competitive in the AL East.
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