Pirates Reportedly Deal For Mets Relief Ace Luke Weaver

Luke Weaver will pitch for yet another team, as the 11-year veteran has been traded by the Mets to the Pirates before the deadline, per MLB Network. Weaver was one of the more appealing trade targets on the market, as one of the few high-end relievers available. The 32-year-old right-hander is having the best season of his career to this point, as he has a 1.84 ERA through 44 innings while keeping the ball in the park more often than in the past. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with New York this past offseason, following a two season and change run with the Yankees, where he produced a 3.22 ERA over 162 innings with 10.6 strikeouts per nine. Weaver is owed $12.5 million in 2027, but that additional season meant he was more than just a two-month rental. Weaver was one of the only bright spots among Mets brought to the roster in 2026: starting pitcher Freddy Peralta struggled after he was acquired from the Brewers, free agent infielder Bo Bichette only started hitting like he did with the Blue Jays in mid-June and ex-Mariners slugger Jorge Polanco has been injured and ineffective. Weaver, though, seemingly improved in a way that made him attractive at the deadline to Pittsburgh. Weaver will slot right into the Pirates’ underwhelming bullpen, which has a 4.34 ERA as a unit. While he could always regress from this career-best form, Weaver was also a high-quality reliever prior to joining the Mets – even previous versions of his work would be a boon to Pittsburgh’s efforts.