The New York Mets could almost field a team of former New York Yankees. In the last few years, if someone enters free agency from the Yankees, there’s a good chance they will end up across town with the Mets. There are several examples, and the latest is not exactly an ideal outcome for the Yankees.
Luke Weaver Leaves Yankees for New York Mets
Luke Weaver had a career resurgence with the New York Yankees. He was a genuine diamond in the rough, and the Yankees made him a closer, and a really good one. Take a look at his ERA per season since 2020:
- 2020: 6.58
- 2021: 4.25
- 2022: 6.56
- 2023: 6.40
- 2024: 2.89
- 2025: 3.62
You can clearly tell when the Yankees got their hands on him. He was a cast-off turned star closer who really excelled on New York’s run to the World Series in 2024. Weaver had some struggles in 2025 and was replaced by Devin Williams and then David Bednar as the closer, but he was still a quality reliever.
Now, he’s headed across town. According to Joel Sherman, he’s signed for two years and $22 million. Sherman also reported that “the Yankees were not part of the bidding to try to retain Weaver, according to a source.”
In just two offseasons, the Mets have scooped up three former Yankee closers. They started by signing Clay Holmes in 2024, although he has now transitioned to the starting rotation. Since the season ended in November, the Mets also snagged Devin Williams and now Weaver, two key bullpen pieces for the Yankees.
Yankees Make Interesting FA Choices
This is an interesting choice for the Yankees. They did a lot of work at the trade deadline to bring in controllable relievers so they would have a little bit of an easier time keeping that unit strong in 2026.
Nevertheless, to see Williams and Weaver leave, let alone to go to the same rival team, is surprising. Williams struggled mightily, but his underlying metrics and strikeout numbers were excellent, and he was better later in the year. He will probably be quite good in 2026 again, and the Yankees might kick themselves.
Weaver was probably running out of steam on his resurgence, and he might fade back to mediocrity, but the Yankees clearly knew how to use him. Losing Williams made Weaver a little more important, but apparently, the front office wasn’t all that concerned.
That leaves precious few options to join Camilo Doval, David Bednar, Jake Burd, and others in the Yankee bullpen, but they can sign:
- Shawn Armstrong
- Kirby Yates
- David Robertson
- Evan Phillips
- Seranthony Dominguez
- Jose Leclerc
- Michael Kopech
The Yankees usually field a good bullpen, and there’s still talent out there now. But losing two key contributors to high-leverage spots without replacing them yet is concerning. In fact, the Yankees have been shockingly quiet in general.
They could be aiming to utilize an abundant pitching rotation to bolster the pen. Once healthy, they will only need five of Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, and potentially some free agents. They’ve been linked to Michael King, for example. They could also be in the trade market for either starters or relievers.
Mets Continue to Yank Former Yanks Across Town
This is not just a trend for closing pitchers, and it’s not just happening this offseason. Last year, the Mets beat the Yankees in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. The year before, they signed Luis Severino after his Yankees tenure ended.
David Robertson did the same in his career. Orlando Hernandez, Curtis Granderson, Rickey Henderson, Al Leiter, Willie Randolph, Robinson Cano, Bartolo Colon, and even Yogi Berra made this transition at one point in their careers.
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