The New York Yankees haven’t been all that busy to begin the offseason, much to the dismay of fans. In fact, the most notable moves involving the team have revolved around the players they have lost, with one of their latest departures being veteran relief pitcher Luke Weaver.
After struggling down the stretch of the 2025 campaign, the Yankees opted to let Weaver hit the open market, where he signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the team’s crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. In the wake of his departure, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone sent the talented pitcher a parting message as he embarks on his next journey.
Aaron Boone Bids Farewell to Luke Weaver
Weaver latched on with the Yankees late in the 2023 season, and he ended up turning him into a crucial piece of the team’s bullpen in 2024. In 62 appearances, Weaver posted a 7-3 record with a 2.89 ERA, four saves, and 103 strikeouts. He was even better during the team’s run to the World Series that year, as he had a 1.76 ERA over 15.1 innings of high-leverage work.
In 2025, things didn’t go as well for Weaver. While his numbers were still solid (4-4, 3.62 ERA, 8 SV, 72 K), he fell apart down the stretch of the season, to the point where he was virtually unusable for Boone in the playoffs. As a result, it seemed unlikely that the two sides would reunite in free agency this offseason.
Sure enough, Weaver bolted for the Mets, where he will now join another former Yankees reliever, Devin Williams, at the back of their bullpen. Losing Weaver hurts, especially since he signed with the Mets, but Boone isn’t holding a grudge against his former star pitcher, revealing that he was happy to see him sign a well-earned contract.
“He got a really good deal that he earned,” Boone said of Weaver. “When we got him it seemed like not a big move at the time late in the ’23 season — to turn into the reliever and the role he ended up having for us. He threw a lot of really big games and productive games over the last couple of years — credit to him for going out there and making a little alter to his career and it truly paying dividends for him.”
Yankees Need to Start Making Some Additions this Offseason
GettyNew York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman
The departure of Weaver creates another hole that the Yankees’ front office needs to focus on filling this offseason. To this point, New York has largely stood pat, watching teams across the American League East, mainly the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, make some serious upgrades. In order to ensure they remain one of the top teams in the division, the Yanks have to give their roster an infusion of talent.
To this point, nothing has materialized, but there is still a lot of time for New York to get its work done this offseason. The level of urgency needs to be increased, though, or else the front office could risk missing out on all of its top targets. With Weaver gone, look for the Yankees to up the ante and begin making a serious push to bring some new faces to town in the coming weeks.
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