New York Yankees right-hander Luke Weaver, who enjoyed a strong regular season but blew save chances in three of his last six playoff appearances, will be back with the club next year.
The team picked up his $2.5 million option for 2025, which was part of the one-year, $2 million free-agent deal he signed with New York last winter.
Weaver, 31, was primarily a starting pitcher before joining the Yankees, but he flourished in a bullpen role during the 2024 regular season. He went 7-3 with four saves (and no blown chances) and a 2.89 ERA in 62 appearances, striking out 103 and walking 26 in 84 innings.
He saved all three of the Yankees' wins over the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series, then saved Game 1 of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians. Through the first five postseason appearances of his career, Weaver had four saves and a 0.00 ERA with nine strikeouts and one walk in six innings.
However, Weaver blew a save in Game 3 of the ALCS before winning Game 5.
In the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he squandered leads in Game 1 and the Game 5 clincher. During what proved to be the finale on Wednesday, Weaver entered in the eighth inning with no outs, the bases loaded and the Yankees up 6-5. Two of the first three batters he faced hit sacrifice flies as the Dodgers took a 7-6 lead that held up.
Overall in the playoffs, Weaver finished 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA and four saves in seven chances.
In his career with the St. Louis Cardinals (2016-18), Arizona Diamondbacks (2019-22), Kansas City Royals (2022), Cincinnati Reds (2023), Seattle Mariners (2023) and the Yankees, Weaver is 34-45 with a 4.85 ERA in 206 games (106 starts).
