Yankees Urged To Trade Ex-Cardinals $20 Million Hurler Despite Recent Dominance

Should St. Louis look to reunite with the former first-round pick?

Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) celebrates a win over the Kansas City Royals during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are missing in action from the postseason for a second consecutive year while former players chase a World Series ring with other teams.

Watching former homegrown hurler Jack Flaherty pitch lights out for the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout this postseason has been challenging -- thinking what could have been if St. Louis had been in a better position to re-sign him when his contract expired after the 2023 season.

Another former first-round draft pick for the Cardinals is performing like never before with the New York Yankees but perhaps there'll be an opportunity this winter to reunite with him.

"New York Yankees: they should trade Luke Weaver," Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer wrote Tuesday. "So why take an 'Actually, this guy should go' stance on Weaver? Partly for lack of a better idea, to be honest. But also because the Yankees are probably never going to get a better chance to sell high on him."

Weaver posted a 7-3 record with a 2.89 ERA, 103-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .176 batting average against and a 0.93 WHIP in 84 innings pitched for the Yankees in 2024.

"The 31-year-old has been terrific this season, and especially since taking over closing duties on September 6," Rymer continued. "But relative to the rest of his career, to call 2024 an outlier for him would be understating it. The Yankees must be careful about believing it can last."

Before being used as a trade chip to acquire Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Weaver was a back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher at best.

The dominance Weaver has displayed throughout this postseason as the Yankees' closing pitcher is remarkable -- logging zero earned runs on two hits, with nine strikeouts and one walk in six innings pitched.

With Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley being a potential trade candidate, perhaps St. Louis would be interested in trading for Weaver to replace the flamethrower in the bullpen. However, it would be risky dealing for a former lackluster pitcher with only one good season under his belt in the last five seasons and the front office might not be willing to take that chance.

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