New York Yankees reliever Luke Weaver indicated earlier in the week that he'd be interested in returning to a starting role if that's what teams want during free agency.
It remains uncertain what Weaver plans to do in terms of returning to the Yankees, but this could cause some issues. As the Yankees have found out in recent years, notably with Clay Holmes, who left the Yankees to take a deal with the New York Mets, there's more money out there for starters than relievers, especially ones of Weaver's caliber.
To say that Weaver will get a ton of money as a starter is unfair, despite his stuff being as good as anyone's in baseball when he's at his best. The issue, however, at least from his perspective, is that he hasn't been a full-time starter since the 2023 season. He’d be three years removed if he were to take that role up again this winter.
Will Luke Weaver leave the Yankees?
When examining the situation, Adam Weinrib offered some insightful thoughts, suggesting that if Weaver and the Yankees were to have that conversation, New York would likely allow him to walk out of its doors.
“If the Yankees and Weaver sit at the table, New York will probably decline to open the door for him to an altered role,” Weinrib of FanSided wrote. “The other teams in the conversation will almost definitely enter talks in a more flexible state of mind. … If he wants to be wooed — and it sounds like he does — he’ll probably find the other conversations more appealing.”
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It'll be intriguing to see what the Yankees want to do. Ultimately, much of this will come down to finances.
If the Yankees are willing to give Weaver the money he's looking for, even if it isn't in the exact role, the right-handed 32-year-old could be interested in that.