Insider Hints Yankees Pitcher Could Be on A’s Radar This Offseason

The A's could use a veteran arm or two this offseason, and this one would be a great fit

Feb 25, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Detail view of gloves and a hat in the New York Yankees dugout during the game against the Minnesota Twins at Lee Health Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images | Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

The Athletics may be ready to pounce when free agency opens up. After trading away Mason Miller at the Trade Deadline, they could be in the market for a closer, but they'll certainly be in the market for more late-inning options to add to their mix. The A's bullpen finished the final two months with the second-best ERA in baseball at 2.99 while using a variety of pitchers in the ninth inning.

After an up-and-down season, Yankees reliever Luke Weaver seems like the perfect target for the club. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand thinks so, too. He listed out the top 30 free agents, along with a few fits for all of them. Weaver, whom he ranked No. 27 among all free agents, had three projected destinations: A's, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Yankees.

As we mentioned earlier this offseason, Weaver would fit with the A's for a couple of reasons. The first, and most direct, would be that he's been a solid relief pitcher for large swaths of the past two seasons, including in the 2024 postseason.

He held a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 outings through the end of May, but then landed on the IL with a left hamstring injury for three weeks. When he came back, he wasn't the same pitcher, holding a 5.31 ERA the rest of the way. He finished up with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP across 64 2/3 innings.

The Second Reason Weaver Could Work with A's

Apr 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Luke Weaver (30) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In addition to being a solid relief pitcher, Weaver began his career as a starting pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and D-Backs. He transitioned to a relief role in 2024 with the Yankees and has found a mix that works for him.

We've seen recently that teams have swooped up solid relief pitchers and converted them back into starting pitchers in recent years, and Weaver seems like a potential fit for this transition if he's up for it.

The A's have a lot of young and talented pitchers that are low on experience, and adding Weaver to either the bullpen or the rotation would be a big signing for the club since it could help settle the roster a bit.

If Weaver signed, the A's would likely roll with Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales, and Weaver in their starting five, which is a nice mix of veteran leadership and young guys with upside.

The added upside, especially for a club like the A's, is that a contract likely wouldn't have to be too large or too long. Weaver is 32 years old, and will be in his age-32 season in 2026. Typically relief pitchers don't get long-term deals outside of the upper end of the market, so he could just be after a two-or-three year deal.

There is a chance that the A's tack on an extra season if he's a big target of theirs, because with the team playing in a minor-league ballpark, they're going to have to overpay a touch to convince players to sign.

Even if the A's added a third or fourth year to this deal, we're probably looking at somewhere between $6 million to $9 million per season, which would work out to something around $24 million to $36 million across a four-year pact.