August 18: The Reds have officially released Weaver, the team announced on Friday. He is now a free agent.
August 16: The Reds have designated starting pitcher Luke Weaver for assignment, the team has announced. They have recalled Alan Busenitz from Triple-A Louisville to take his place on the 26-man roster.
The Cardinals selected Weaver in the first round of the 2014 draft, and he spent the first five years of his professional career in the Cardinals organization. Following the 2018 season, he was one of three players sent to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Paul Goldschmidt, famously one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory. In his first three seasons with Arizona, Weaver was an average starting pitcher (4.45 ERA, 4.19 SIERA), but he missed significant time with injuries in 2019 and 2021.
In 2022, the Diamondbacks moved him to the bullpen, where he posted a 3.55 ERA in 11 appearances. He was traded to the Royals at the deadline and continued to pitch out of the ’pen for Kansas City. The Royals non-tendered him after the season rather than paying him an estimated $3MM in arbitration.
As a free agent, Weaver signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Reds. He missed the first three weeks of the 2023 season nursing a strained elbow flexor and struggled upon his return, posting a 6.87 ERA in 97 innings pitched. His underlying numbers are slightly better (4.78 SIERA, 5.75 xERA), but it’s impossible to deny that the 2023 season has gone poorly for the 29-year-old. He has failed to escape the fifth inning in 12 of his 21 starts, and his strikeout rate has fallen to a career-worst 19%.
The Reds will need to place Weaver on outright waivers within seven days. The right-hander has more than five years of MLB service time, which means that if he clears waivers, he will have the option to reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues without sacrificing any salary remaining on his contract.
Hunter Greene, who has been out since mid-June with hip soreness, is expected to make his return this weekend, when he can take what would have been Weaver’s next turn in the rotation. Still, the Reds will need one additional starting pitcher. They have gotten by with a four-man rotation since August 7, when Lyon Richardson was optioned to Triple-A. However, after an off-day on Thursday, they’ll play 20 games in the next 20 days. Brett Kennedy is expected to make a start in the coming days, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Ben Lively will also be a candidate to join the rotation when he finishes his rehab stint at Triple-A.
The Reds have had tough luck in the rotation this year. Greene and Nick Lodolo have spent significant time on the IL, as have Justin Dunn and Connor Overton, while veterans Weaver and Luis Cessa have struggled. Cincinnati’s starters have a 5.34 ERA on the season and a 6.35 ERA in August, which goes a long way toward explaining why the Reds have a negative run differential despite boasting an offense that has scored the fourth-most runs in the National League. If this team makes the playoffs, it will be thanks to their offense, not their pitching. Still, they’ll need more from their rotation to pull ahead in a tight NL race.
Just a few days after Carson Kelly was released. Man, that Goldschmidt trade for Arizona was arguably worse than the Arenado trade for the Rockies even though the Rockies gets roasted for that one all the time here.
That’s arguable, however I do believe both trades didn’t work well for the teams trading the super star. The Betts one is bad as well but at least Goldy and Betts were rentals at the time. Arenado had at least two years of control on the contract (considering the opt out.) However I don’t believe the Rockies should have got as much hate as they did. They were trying to dump a contract that they had started to regret and they do just that.
Don’t forget the $50M Colorado sent to St. Louis with Arenado in that trade.
Austin Gomber’d
Why? It’s not my money. What do I care what an owner does with his money?
Because the $50MM has value whether you care if it’s your money or not.
You can’t grade the Mets trade of Verlander or Scherzer without factoring in the cash that was sent. That is value in the form of financial relief. The owner chooses whether he spends that money on the team, pockets it, or it was necessary to fit that specific player into the budget. Regardless, it holds value.
D’backs deal was not good but better than Colorado. Christian Walker got the opportunity to turn into a pretty good 1B w/ Goldy gone.
The Rockies got Austin Gomber & Montero + picked up $50MM in salary. Gomber nor Montero is providing value equal to that much money.
Right, Walker has put up 12 WAR to Goldy’s 21 WAR. But it cost at least $100 million less to do so. Too bad they blew that money on Bumgarner.
Plus Kelly and Weaver did match Goldy’s WAR in 2019. It just fell apart from there.
And look at what John Mozeliak says St louis needs… 3 starters I don’t think the Goldschmidt or Arenado deals worked out for STL until they make it past the NLCS….? but that’s just me…? And my opnion to most is an unwashed hole that’s been ruminating for a week
I agree. At the time, I thought Colorado should include no cash and forgo Montero and Gomber. Then they could spent fifty million on a free agent.
So you think they should have just given away their star player for three non prospects that will likely never make the majors instead of those three plus the two that are on the team now? $50 million is not really that bad for potentially 12 years of control of two young players.
If the choice seems to be between two insanely bad deals, the problem lies with the GM.
Not if the bad deals were done by two different teams. The common team between the two deals is the team that won the deals Cardinals.
Yeah…and the Rockies still have two pieces on their roster that could do as good, if not better, than Kelly and Weaver. Pluus, if you are factoring in Walker, then you also have to factor in Ryan McMahon. McMahon has 10.5 WAR in the past three years to Arenado’s 14.5 WAR for around $100 million less AFTER you account for the $50 million sent to STL.
Why would McMahon b relevant in any way to that trade??
Hiflew straight up lying. 3 year totals——McMahon 6.9fWAR & Arenado’s 14.5.
It’s like this isn’t easily verifiable public info…..
He’s also trying to tie pay to performance. Yet he is not factoring in how long they ve played and where they are at as far as pay relative to service time. If you compare a rookie or player in arbitration to a player whose past free agency, you obviously often get more bang for your buck with alot of younger players. However there is a finite supply and rosters are a balance of old and young talent.
People roast those trades but I’m still pointing to the Yelich deal as the ultimate fleecing because Arenado came with the Fifty Mil, Yelich came with years of team control in his what age 27 season and that’s on an absolute STEAL of a team friendly deal, I think the Crew had to pay him about Ten Mil his MVP caliber seasons, and with his return to form/health his current contract isn’t so bad either considering the Marlins whiffed on all those prospects…..
Slocumb for Lowe and Variteck still irks me as an M’s fan. And I still chuckle at the WSox sending Tatis Jr out to the Padres for Shields.
Weaver and Kelly were actually very good for the D’Backs in 2019 also. Carson Kelly was good again in 2021.
Ultimately, they lost the trade by a large margin but that’s a much better outcome than Colorado received. Anyway you slice it. $50MM for Montero and Gomber is a big fat L.
I don’t think enough blame is placed on the comments Arenado said to the media that he himself is reluctant to have said? That 50 million wasn’t for two prospects, it was to cover the Cash STL couldn’t cough up for Arenado and remain competitive? Nobody takes that into account? So to get Arenado out of Colorado and make the star happy Colorado Frontoffice pulls the trigger
Dude put it on BLAST he wanted out
Did yall forget the media outlets are controlled by 3 rich factions? They love doing this to you…
LA how many media outlets you own
All last trade deadline it was Arenado to LA for Max puking Muncy and Ct3 yeah like stl wants to watch CHRIS TAYLOR…?
Where’s the rally runner spouting off “fake news” when you NEED HIM?!?!?
Mitt Mittens? Is that you?
#atusersuperstarprosectjavierwander
Is gonna change his name to
#immabouttogotosleep
I don’t count what Goldy does during 2020-24 Cards extension against the Diamondbacks. They weren’t extending him and decided to fill other needs
I was so hoping STL got yelich, instead they got ozuna which at the time felt okay, but considering they gave up two all star pitchers nah, stl should have gotten yelich and ozuna for Gallen and Alcantara? I know I know… they were prospects at the time who would have thought? Yeah… hit and miss? Hit and miss? Who’s the Next Corey Kluber?
Indians got Kluber for what Jake Westbrook?
2007. Drafted by San Diego Padres
July 31, 2010: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the San Diego Padres to the Cleveland Indians. The San Diego Padres sent Nick Greenwood to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cleveland Indians sent Jake Westbrook to the St. Louis Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals sent Ryan Ludwick to the San Diego Padres.
I forgot which it was – Cutter?, Curve Ball?, Sinker? – that Cory Kluber learned from the AAA pitching coach while pitching for Cleveland at their Columbus affiliate. It became his best pitch and made the others more effective.
Let’s say he would have gone directly to the Cardinals, very probably would have been a wash out.
These things happen in MLB.
Arenado AND $50M for Gomber and Montero. One of the worst transactions in sports ever. Just stupid, stupid, stupid, even if arenado was unhappy.
I don’t think the Yelich trade was really a fleecing because all of the prospect status of all those guys made it kind of a fair trade at the time. Brinson was considered “can’t miss” and Diaz was a highly thought of guy and the other two weren’t that bad either. You can’t really fault the Marlins for all four of those guys failing to live up to their potential. Well, I guess you can somewhat blame their developmental process, but it just shows how volatile prospects can be.
They made up for Yelich and Stanton by getting Alcantara and Zac Gallen for Ozuna so really the big loser of the Marlins OF deals was St. Louis.
That Stanton trade was perfectly fine for the Marlins. They removed a bad money contract from the books. Stanton is not worth what he’s being paid right now.
I remember in like May 2019, when Weaver got off to an outstanding start to the year and so did Kelly, while Goldschmidt got off to a slow start. For a very, and I mean extremely very brief period, did it look like the D-Backs may have sold at the right time.
John Mozeliak here’s your prove it contract #1
This might be more satisfying for Reds fans than De La Cruz promotion. Huge addition by subtraction.
oh yes, Maui………guess 125 hits in 89 innings didn’t cut it!
Weaver is arguably the worst pitcher on a competitive team with the longest stint in rotation. 21 starts lol
Thought Mike Minor had that dubious honor sewed up last year, but Weaver lukes to be a more major dissapointment.
Ironic that the DFA’d him about a week after I asked Reds fans why Weaver was still in the rotation when practically every start he’s made since May has gone sideways. The fact that CIN has done as well as they have this year with a horrid rotation from top to bottom is a miracle.
Before they left AZ this spring, Krall said this was a season of transition. Still is. Just because Reds have been competitive is no good reason for Krall to abondon his plan- nor will he.
BTW, like that guy- for that reason among others.
You know what Will Farrell says…
More Cowgill!
It’s Wednesday night. You know what time it is. It’s Busenitz time.
It’s Weaver chicken fingers night here.
Wednesday is always Taco Tuesday’s leftovers.
About daggone time. Several months too late, but about time.
As for another dumpster dive replacement that could have been avoided if they did what they needed to at the deadline, no comment.
Oh.
And soon we will have Hunter Greene back
Sunday!
The Cards fleeced the Reds for Goldie
Cardinals fleeced the Diamondbacks for Goldschmidt.
can’t believe you even had to correct that guy, 13…..obviously a huge fan
It’s one of the most lopsided trades in recent history, plus Goldschmidt is a Hall of Fame player, he’s hard to miss haha!
Why haven’t the Royals designated that 3-13 (lucky hes not 3-15), 6.30 ERA Lyles for assignment??
With the amount of money they’re paying him, they might as well try to squeeze every inning they can out of him in 2023. Then they’ll hope he turns it around enough in 2024 to get anything of value for him at the deadline
Also,I know he isn’t being paid a ton. But for the Royals, it’s a pretty penny.
I would call $8M for this guy a ton. With a nearly 5.2 career ERA prior to 2023 he must have the best agent in the world to get a rediculous 2 year deal worth $17M. The Royals were crazy. SMH
Because the Royals aren’t going to pay him to pitch for someone else. That’s a Mets thing…
Because the Royals aren’t remotely in the playoff picture and only need their pitchers to eat innings for the rest of the season.
They’re on the hook for him in ‘24, and they’re not gonna eat that money. The saddest part about the horrific records put up by Lyles and Grienke this year is that KC has no other ML ready starters to replace them with. Like the Reds they have to keep running these guys out there and hope for the best which never happens.
Reds have the famous TBD going Friday.
FINALLY! LOL
No more BP! No more BP!
Hate to see players fail but Weaver can’t say he didn’t get a proper shot. 21 games started with 2 wins and an ERA approaching 7 just isn’t good enough.
What’s weird is that in 2019, Weaver and Carson Kelly both had pretty good years and for a short time it looked like the Diamondbacks managed to get back their catcher of the future and a pretty good starting pitcher.
But since then…not so much.
No room for Weaver after all the TDL movement that Castellini authorized…?
There’s always room for Weaver in my freezer. And there’s even more room in my oven. But the most room is in my stomach cuz it starts a-rumblin’ once them tenders come outta the oven and the tasty BBQ sauce goes on ‘em.
weaverchicken.com/
Fun fact. The Reds were 12-9 in games he pitched.
Despite the fact he almost single handedly burned out the bullpen the last four months.
Question is what would the team won-loss have been with a pitcher with a 4.50 ERA have been? Maybe 15-6? The difference would have us in 1st.
White Sox will claim him.
Perfect Angels starter.
Wow.