Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Luke Weaver

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have been one of the most aggressive teams to start the offseason. They have been quick to identify their needs and act accordingly to fill them.

After trading Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for Taylor Ward, pitching became even more of a need. That led to them firing off the first blow to the relief pitching market, inking Ryan Helsley to a two-year deal with an $14MM AAV. Even after that, the bullpen still needs some help.

Weaver would fit in nicely into a bullpen that is going to be without Felix Bautista again for an extended period of time. After ranking 25th in 2025 with a bullpen ERA of 4.57, the need to continue to add capable arms at the back end of their pen needs to be tackled.

With Helsley locking down the ninth inning, utilizing Weaver in the same way he was used in 2024 could be mutually beneficial for both sides.

Chicago Cubs

There is a common theme amongst us here at Just Baseball when it comes to finding landing spots for relief pitchers this offseason. The commonality would be that you are likely to find the Chicago Cubs on everyone’s list of teams that should sign a reliever.

After inking Phil Maton to a two-year deal, this bullpen is still in desperate need of arms who can pitch in high-leverage situations. With Daniel Palencia looking to have the closer’s role to start the season, there is still so much uncertainty surrounding this unit.

Until proven otherwise, the Cubs won’t be in the top-tier market for players at any position. Seeing that Weaver does not project to make that kind of money with his new deal, he would be a great option for a team looking for stability in a high-leverage role.

Detroit Tigers

While the Tigers could stand to land a true closer at the back of their bullpen, who’s to say they continue with their same “chaos” approach that they’ve undergone the past two seasons.

If that truly is the case, Weaver would fill the need for AJ Hinch, Chris Fetter, and the philosophy that has built up as much success as it has dating back to 2024. There is clearly a need there, considering the two deadline acquisitions of Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero are currently free agents.

General Manager Jeff Greenberg made a statement at the GM Meetings that the team was going to “prioritize pitching.” Seeing that their wasn’t a specific unit in which they wanted to prioritize, you have to believe they are well aware of the need to fix this bullpen.

Given the versatility that Weaver has shown to have in his career, he would clearly fit the Tigers’ mold of relief pitchers in their organization.

New York Mets

The Mets seem to be changing the build of their bullpen after signing Devin Williams to a three-year deal on the first day of December. If this does spell the end of Edwin Díaz’s career in New York, the Mets need to make sure they use whatever money saved with Williams to load up on capable bullpen arms.

Bullpen had been a need for this team even before the start of the 2024 season. They tried to piece it together with in-season trades for Gregory Soto and Ryan Helsley, but both of them have moved on, and the holes are even more prevalent.

David Stearns is known for his time in Milwaukee for maximizing the value of the dollar when it comes to building out his rosters, which is quite contrary to what Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown to wants to do. With the remaining holes on the roster, a lower cost signing of Weaver would be a big addition for this pitching staff.

His familiarity with pitching in New York is also an important factor here to consider, even if some may not think so.

San Diego Padres

This offseason could go many different ways for the Padres. With the recent news of ownership looking to sell, AJ Preller could be working under a limited pool of finances for the first time in a while.

While the backend of the bullpen looks to be one of the stronger units in the league with Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon, this team is likely looking to be without the services of Robert Suarez, as he, too, is a free agent.

The big X-factor here is the rumors that the Padres were going to try Mason Miller out as a starter again. If that is the case, the need for another arm that can pitch late in games grows. If there are budget constraints in San Diego, Weaver is an affordable option that would fit perfectly into this bullpen.