Luke Weaver broke out as a late-inning reliever for the Yankees over the last two seasons, and he'd be one of the top relievers available in free agency this offseason.
Unless … he's going to be a starter again?
Weaver told MLB Network insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on their podcast last week that he'd be open to a return to starting if the right opportunity presents itself.
"I would say, look, the door is open," Weaver said. "I am never going to just say 'absolutely not.' Like, 'Hey, when the time comes, let's talk about it. What does that look like?'"
Weaver was predominantly a starter until the 2024 season, including his first six big league seasons with the Cardinals and D-backs, as well as at the start of his Yankees tenure in September 2023.
But the 32-year-old right-hander found a lot more success after his move to the bullpen in 2024. Weaver even took over as the Yankees' closer down the stretch and through the postseason on their run to the American League pennant.
"For so long, being a starting pitcher, you don't expect to be a reliever," Weaver said on the podcast. "Being a starting pitcher, honestly, it's gotta be the best job in the big leagues. Especially when it's going well. But I've just found this niche. I've just found this ability to do something a little bit different and then use my background of starting and channel it into how I pitch now."
That said, Weaver would consider converting back into a starting role in 2026 with whatever team he ends up with.
It's the path Weaver's former bullpen mate with the Yankees, Clay Holmes, has taken with the Mets this year. Holmes is also 32, and he was also a late-inning reliever when he hit free agency. But the Mets signed him to be a starter, and Holmes is 11-8 with a 3.69 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings in 2025.
Other pitchers have also successfully made the reliever-to-starter transition recently, like Garrett Crochet for the White Sox, Seth Lugo for the Royals and Michael King for the Padres (another former Yankee).
"It's cool to see that it's possible, too," Weaver said. "We see it's happening from time to time now. Teams are being a little more strategic. And yes, I'm very much open to it. But I also am not just like, 'Yeah, I want to go do that,' or 'Yeah, I want to go do this.' Let's sit at the table, let's have a conversation and see what that looks like, what best [positions] me to be the most successful. I would like to have those options if they are there."