Positives and Negatives of Yankees New Trade Addition Ryan Weathers

Ryan Weathers was the prototypical Brian Cashman trade. Nobody saw it coming. He may not have been able to seal the deal with Edward Cabrera, but, in the most Denzel Washington fashion, he left with something from the Miami Marlins. Now, the New York Yankees have a little more depth to a rotation that is stacked on paper and is waiting for the return of Carlos Rodon and ace Gerrit Cole.

Weathers will slot into the rotation for now while they wait for the big guns to return. He'll be a part of a youthful staff to start 2026, which will rely on the likes of him, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. At the top, of course, will be Max Fried.

Weathers' significance to the starting rotation will be based on whether the Yankees make any more moves. If they go out and trade for a Freddy Peralta, his role diminishes a bit, which isn't the worst thing for a young pitcher being traded to New York.

Whatever his role ends up being, Weathers has all the tools to be a respectable arm. The issue is that his positives and negatives carry the same weight.

Here’s Ryan Weathers going six scoreless innings striking out six vs the Blue Jays. pic.twitter.com/DfySUQxNrj
— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) January 14, 2026

The Positives

The big positive with Weathers is that he is just 26 years old, comes with three years of control, and throws gas. His fastball averages 96.8 MPH, and last season, he topped out at 99.1 MPH.

Weathers' nastiest pitch last year was his sweeper. It had a 1 Run Value, according to Baseball Savant. Hitters hit .174 against it with a .261 slugging, and it had a 39.1% whiff rate and 34.6% k rate.

Another positive is that the Yankees did not unload any of their top ten prospects within the organization for him. They traded Brendan Jones (ranked 15th by MLB Pipeline), Dillon Lewis (ranked 16th), Dylan Jasso (ranked 23rd), and Juan Matheus.

The Negatives

The concern with Weathers is his health. He has spent more time on the injured list than on the field.

Weathers hasn't seen a mound all that much after being one of the main pieces in the deal that sent Garrett Cooper to the San Diego Padres. In July 2024, a left index finger strain put him on the 60-day IL. In March 2025, just before the start of the season, Weathers went down with a left flexor muscle strain.

Jun 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) is attended to by training staff after being hit in the head by an errant throw from Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes (4) (not pictured) against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Weathers was finally activated in May, only to be placed on the 60-day IL less than a month later with a left lat strain. They finally activated him in September.

In 2024, Weathers pitched 86.2 innings. In 2025, he pitched 38.1 innings.