Making the Case for Why Ryan Weathers Should Stay in Yankees’ 2027 Starting Rotation

The Yankees are expected to be active in the trade market this winter, thanks to a surplus of starting pitching.

Beyond the fearsome foursome of Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, the Yankees have Will Warren and Ryan Weathers as capable fifth starters. After them are two promising prospects in Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange. All of these additional arms are cost-controlled talent that should interest any major league club, and the Yankees can exchange them to address other needs in the lineup or bullpen.

However, out of these four depth pieces, the best one has been Weathers. As such, the Yankees should not only make it a priority to keep him, but he should firmly be in the starting rotation throughout 2027.

Ryan Weathers is the Yankees' ideal fifth starter

As Weathers' 2026 breakout progressed, he was frequently mentioned as a trade chip before the August 3 deadline. The 26-year-old lefty is still viewed as a highly valuable piece; for example, Texas Rangers beat reporter Evan Grant cited Weathers as a key component in a theoretical Corey Seager trade between the Yankees and Rangers.

Ryan Weathers and Anthony Volpe have been cited as potential trade chips in a Corey Seager trade, according to @Evan_P_Grant #Yankees pic.twitter.com/V9rKCxcP0l
— Yankees Worldwide (@NYYWorldwide) November 10, 2026

But as tempting as it may be to deal Weathers, the Yankees should remain disciplined and hang on to him. Weathers not only enjoyed the best season of his young career so far, but he also did so by stepping up in place of other injured starters.

Of the Yankees' top four starters in 2026, Schlittler was the only one to stay healthy throughout the season (another feather in his cap as the team's MVP). Cole missed the first month of the year to fully recover from Tommy John surgery, Fried landed on the injured list twice with a bone bruise in his elbow, and Rodon missed time with elbow inflammation.

In fact, the Yankees dodged a bullet for 2027, as they recently announced that Fried underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. The good news is that Fried will recover in time for Spring Training, but this could have resulted in missed time under different circumstances.

Max Fried has a bone spur removed from his elbow and will undergo six weeks of recovery but is expected to be ready by spring training whenever it starts
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 10, 2026

Granted, Weathers himself has an injury history. He missed significant time in both 2024 and 2025, and landed on the IL with a flexor strain on August 23; Weathers would not return until the postseason, doing so as a reliever.

Yet when healthy, Weathers' contributions were integral to the success of New York's rotation. The lefty's 137.1 innings pitched were over 40 more frames than his previous career high, and he did so by striking out 143 batters while walking just 38. Additionally, he continued to improve as the season progressed.

In his last nine starts before landing on the IL, Weathers tossed 49.0 innings and registered a 2.76 ERA and 2.71 FIP, with 45 strikeouts against 13 walks. Home runs were his biggest weakness during the year as he allowed 18, but over those nine starts, Weathers coughed up just two homers. This is likely due to a revised approach, as the lefty began throwing his four-seam fastball less often and took advantage of the rest of his arsenal.

Ryan Weathers has allowed only 3 runs in his last 5 starts (31.2 IP).

(via @realapp) pic.twitter.com/KzmZDrisBX
— The Yankee Report (@YankeeReport_) August 16, 2026

The most important part of that stretch is that Weathers made up for the loss of Rodon and Fried. The former was out from June 30 to Aug. 18, while the latter returned on July 22 and made just five starts before landing back on the IL. Losing those two stud left-handers could have been devastating to the Yankees' season, yet Weathers helped keep the unit stable. By the time Weathers himself landed on the IL, Rodon had just come back and Fried was only a week away from returning.

The recent announcement about Fried, while ultimately inconsequential, serves as a reminder of why the Yankees' rotation depth is so important. Having an arm like Weathers can help the Bronx Bombers stay afloat amid injuries to other key pitchers.

It makes sense for the Yankees to deal from a position of strength this winter to make necessary roster upgrades. But Weathers should be the arm that New York prioritizes keeping, unless another team is willing to offer a game-changing talent for him.

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