As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 24 teams either in a playoff spot or within 5.5 games of one, which means there were 24 teams that would welcome Luke Weaver to their bullpen.
With trade rumors and reports swirling and plastered “on the front page of my Instagram or my newspaper that I don’t read,” Weaver said to laughs, a battle-tested pitcher continued to show that he can pitch through pressure.
Weaver is enhancing his trade value — and his value to the Mets, who do not have to trade him — during a stretch in which the toss-up reality of his immediate future does not seem to matter to him on the mound.
“It [was] certainly a lot harder in the past,” Weaver said about dealing with the uncertainty after firing another scoreless inning in a 3-2, doubleheader-opening victory over the Braves at Citi Field on Wednesday. “But unfortunately and fortunately, I’ve had a lot of experience through different waves of these circumstances — experience to lean into, offseason, in season, for good, for bad. So I think that gives me peace.”
Weaver has pitched for seven teams in parts of nine major league seasons, been traded twice and designated for assignment twice. After his second DFA he was claimed by the Yankees, who converted him to a reliever, watched him soar and last offseason watched him sign a two-year, $22 million pact with the Mets.
So the 32-year-old has been here, which is apparent as he flourishes during a challenging moment. Since May, he has pitched in 29 games and allowed one earned run.
He also is happy with where he literally is, which matters because the Mets are not obligated to trade him like they are with walk-year bullpen arms in Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter. Weaver, due $11 million next season, could be a part of a 2027 Mets team that will want to compete.
He is “absolutely” enjoying life with the Mets, he said, pointing to the relationships he has formed and the clubhouse culture.
“It’s been a real joy to come in every day, even in an environment that isn’t winning like we had hoped,” Weaver said after lowering his ERA to 1.88 with a one-hit, one-strikeout eighth inning. “I think [losing clubhouses] can be a very dreaded environment from time to time in certain situations, but to me I’ve never had that. I think it’s disappointing after games when you’re not winning. The winning is great, but you also want the consistency of what you bring on a daily basis when you walk in through the door, and that has definitely matched that in such a positive way, and it’s a testament to the people they have here.”
Weaver said he and his wife are “mentally prepared to an extent” for a trade, “but we’re also not by any means one foot out the door.” He referenced the fact the Mets are not about to embark upon a rebuild and will want to win soon.
Which complicates the future of a pitcher who is showing he can help them win.
“Luke’s really good [and] valuable to us not just this season, the remainder, but also the next season,” interim manager Andy Green said. “Nobody knows how the next few days are going to go.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
