The Brewers and Pirates are among the many clubs who’ve shown interest in Mets right-hander Luke Weaver, per Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Strong interest in Weaver should come as no surprise with the Mets entering the deadline as sellers and the veteran righty enjoying a dominant season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggested yesterday that there’s enough interest in Weaver that he’s expected to be moved, even though he’s affordably signed through 2027.
Weaver, 32, signed a two-year, $22MM contract with the Mets in the winter. It’s proven to be their best offseason acquisition. Weaver had a rocky finish with the Yankees last season but has bounced back in a major way in 2026. He’s appeared in 41 games, pitched 43 innings and turned in a 1.88 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate. He’s sitting 95.3 mph on his four-seamer and throwing more changeups (34.9%) than at any prior point in his career. Weaver’s 14.4% swinging-strike rate is the second-best of his career, and he’s never generated more chases on balls outside the zone than this year’s 34.2% rate.
A top starting pitching prospect early in his career, Weaver had some brief success out of the Cardinals’ and D-backs’ rotations back in 2017-19. Injuries intervened, and he began to bounce around the league as a journeyman starter/swingman before the Yankees gave him a look as a short relief option. That opportunity changed the trajectory of his career. Dating back to 2024, Weaver boasts a 2.91 ERA, 13 saves, 58 holds, a 29% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate.
The Mets have used Weaver as their primary setup man. He’s been placed in 18 hold/save situations this season and come away with 15 holds and one save. Some interested parties will surely view Weaver as a closing option; the Pirates, for instance, have a major need in the ninth inning. They recently designated Opening Day closer Dennis Santana for assignment and have not found a consistent replacement. Others, like the Brewers, would probably plug him into a more familiar setup role or closer committee; Milwaukee has Trevor Megill (17 saves, 2.97 ERA) and Abner Uribe (six saves, 15 holds, 2.32 ERA) as powerhouse arms at the back of an already terrific bullpen.
Weaver received a $3MM signing bonus and is being paid an $8MM salary this season. He’s owed $11MM in 2027. There’s about $2.45MM of this year’s salary yet to be paid out. He’d cost a new club a total of $13.45MM and contribute to a pair of pennant chases. For a pitcher with Weaver’s track record, that’s a nice value, though it could feasibly be on the steep side for low-payroll clubs like Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.
As MLBTR’s new Payroll Tracker shows, the Brewers’ cash payroll this season clocks in at an estimated $136,262,884. The Bucs are at $106,200,513. Milwaukee has $59.5MM on next year’s books, not counting arbitration-eligible players but including their $14.5MM club option on William Contreras. Pittsburgh has $50MM (again, not including arb-eligible players). The Mets, notably, are not interested in paying down the contracts of their most coveted trade assets (though for a good enough return, they could certainly reconsider that stance).
[Related: New York Mets’ Trade Deadline Outlook]
The Mets already traded left-hander A.J. Minter to the Twins in a late-night Thursday swap that became official this morning. (Minnesota took on the rest of his $11MM salary.) Weaver is one of several veterans who’s expected to move between now and Monday afternoon’s deadline, joining names like Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, Clay Holmes, Huascar Brazoban, Luis Robert Jr. and Tyrone Taylor. The Mets have some pricey veterans (e.g. Sean Manaea, Devin Williams) and former top prospect/change-of-scenery candidate (e.g. Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio) who could conceivably change hands as well — though moving someone like Manaea, Robert or Williams might necessitate softening their stance on including cash to facilitate trades.
