Luke Weaver Contract: All you need to know about Yankees closer’s future and impact on bullpen
The New York Yankees have found a new man for the job to close games and it's none other than Luke Weaver, who is trending after he blew past the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the ALDS series on Thursday.
Weaver was tasked with protecting the 3-1 lead going into the final innings. He held his end of the bargain, retiring the Royals hitters 1-2-3 to punch the Yankees a ticket to the ALCS showdown against either the Detroit Tigers or Cleveland Guardians.
Knowing what he can produce at the mound, here's a closer look to see if he will remain in pinstripes after this season.
Luke Weaver's contract
The Yankees closer was claimed off waivers from Seattle in September 2023 and after three starts, he decided to opt for free agency. Weaver returned to the Bronx on a one-year, $2 million guaranteed deal with a team option for 2025 and performance bonuses, as per ESPN.com. He can earn a maximum of $8.25 million over two seasons.
Based on how many innings he pitches, one incentive is directly proportional to it:
His 2025 salary is bound to the number of innings he pitched this year:
- $3M with 100
- $4M with 120
- $5M with 140
- $6M with 160
The veteran closer pitched 84.0 innings in which he went 4.85 ERA while going 7-3 and cashing in on four save opportunities.
There are also incentives on the number of games he starts for the club:
$50,000 each for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 starts in the season.
However, this year he has started zero games; therefore, he won't be earning this incentive.
Also based on relief appearances, he would earn $50,000 each for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60-game appearances.
This year, he has appeared in 62 games; therefore, he will earn $250,000.
Before Luke Weaver claimed the closer role for the postseason, Clay Holmes was the Yankees primary closer until the September game against the Texas Rangers, where he blew off his 11th save of the season. From there on, the Yankees didn't seem to have locked in until now, after Weaver capitalized on two save opportunities in this ALDS series.
The Yankees will face either the Tigers or Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday.