Yankees Postseason Hero Reacts to Son Joining Team

Being traded from the Marlins to the New York Yankees is becoming a family tradition.

Sept 20, 2007; San Francisco, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher David Weathers (left) receives a handshake from catcher David Ross (26) after defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-2 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In 1996, the New York Yankees made a call to the Florida Marlins at the trade deadline. They sent over Mark Hutton for relief pitcher David Weathers, who ended up being a key piece in the postseason that year, when the team snapped a World Series drought dating back to 1978.

It feels serendipitous that this winter, the Yankees also made a call to the Marlins for another member of the Weathers family. This time it was his son Ryan. The younger Weathers is a hard-throwing starter who can dial it up to the high nineties. Dillon Lewis was the main piece in that trade, along with several other prospects.

At the time, Bob Watson was making the calls, and Brian Cashman was assistant General Manager. Now Cashman holds the position Watson once did as the Yankees are embroiled in another championship drought, and, just like Watson, he called on the Marlins to hopefully snap this cold spell, which dates back to 2009.

Jul 4, 1999; St. Louis, MO, USA; FILE PHOTO; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher David Weathers (49) in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK | Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images

David Weathers on Son Playing for the Yankees

The elder Weathers spoke to the Athletic's Brendan Kuty about his son's trade to the Yankees. He called it a "full-circle moment" for his family, and there may be no better way to describe the fortuitous swap.

When Weathers was asked about his son's demeanor, he described him as having an old-school vibe.

"They're going to get a blue-collar guy," Weathers said of his son to Kuty. "He's a lunchbox guy, man. He's going to show up."

May 20, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) looks on against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Weathers also said there is a ton of talent on the team that can help his son grow.

"This could be a really good situation for Ryan to grow as a pitcher," Weathers went on to say of a Yankees team that has mentors the likes of Max Fried and Gerrit Cole on it.

The Weathers Family

Just like his son, Weathers had an ERA north of 5 in his career, but Watson and the front office saw something in him, and their faith was rewarded. Weathers, who had been demoted shortly after the trade, then allowed one earned run in 11 scoreless innings en route to a World Series.

The younger Weathers is also in the same situation as far as his ERA goes, but ERA isn't always a great indicator of a player's future results. This generation's Weathers comes with a nasty fastball and a healthy array of offspeed and breaking pitches, which give him the ability to strike out a ton of batters.

One thing about the younger Weathers is that he also has good command. In 2024, he had a walk rate of 6.5%. In 2025, it was 7.3%.

The big issue with Ryan Weathers isn't talent but health. Whether he helps snap a drought remains to be seen. The Yankees are certainly hoping for that.

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