My Take: Yankees Acquire Ryan Weathers

The specifics (MLB Pipeline rankings in parentheses)

The Yankees acquire LHP Ryan Weathers from the Marlins for OF Dillon Lewis (16), OF Brendan Jones (15), UTIL Juan Matheus (Unranked), and UTIL Dylan Jasso (23)

From the Yankees’ perspective:

They’ve explored acquiring a starting pitcher, with Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, and Edward Cabrera (who has since been traded) among the rumored targets.

Instead, they end up with Weathers, who is the son of former Yankees’ postseason hero David Weathers. It is amazing when I look at his career, because hardly anybody would guess that he had a 964-game career, which ranks 19th all-time.

If Ryan had that level of durability, maybe I could understand this trade more.

Alas, he does not. Weathers has 70 games (55 starts) of MLB experience over his five-year career. Those 281 innings haven’t produced great results, as he owns a 4.93 ERA (5.03 FIP), 19.4% K, 8.2% BB, and 43.1% GB. Oof. For comparison, Ryan Yarbrough has a 4.22 ERA (4.30 FIP) over 832 innings with a 18.8% K, 5.6% BB, and 38.7% GB.

I use Yarbrough because that is the lowest bar I want to clear when making an acquisition. Ideally, you want someone higher on the chain than that: A pitcher you feel comfortable with every five days while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon rehab.

I am trying to find a reason why Weathers clears that bar. He’s always hurt, and success has eluded him.

Are there positives?  Sure. Weathers has a pedigree, as he was the 7th overall pick in the 2018 draft by the San Diego Padres. However, the return the Padres received for him wasn’t great (Garrett Cooper, Sean Reynolds), so his value dipped considerably when that trade was completed in 2023.  If I squint hard enough, his last two seasons have shown improvement. In 24 starts between 2024 and 2025, he owns a 3.74 ERA (4.26 FIP) over 125 innings. That’s a decent pitcher, though not a durable one, and certainly not one I am throwing out there in the postseason. Additionally, he saw his velocity spike in 2025, as his four-seam fastball averaged 96.9 MPH. However, the Pitch Value metric on Fangraphs still shows it as a negative pitch.

One other positive is team control. Weathers isn’t a free agent until 2029. Hence, whatever innings he gives the organization will be cheap innings.

From the Marlins’ perspective:

The Marlins once again target the Yankees’ position player prospect pool, adding this quartet to Agustin Ramirez, Abrahan Ramirez, Jared Serna, and John Cruz. Typically, other franchises target our arms. The Marlins do not.

These four prospects are an intriguing bunch.

I will start with the unranked Matheus, a 21-year-old utility player who has been with the Yankees since 2022. In 2025, he received an extended look in full-season leagues, hitting .275/.365/.376 in 520 plate appearances between Tampa and Hudson Valley. Additionally, he stole 40 bases in 51 attempts. He flashed patience, doubles power (32), and speed to go along with his versatile profile. His ceiling is likely that of a backup, which isn’t so bad for the prospect regarded as fourth best in a prospect package.

Lewis has surged in prospect circles, though the numbers need to catch up to the increased hype.  Drafted in the 13th round in the 2024 draft out of Queens University of Charlotte, Lewis made it to High-A Hudson Valley in his first full season of professional ball. While his numbers don’t jump at you (.228/.320/.426; 13 HR, 13 stolen bases), he cut down his strikeout rate considerably from his time in Low-A Tampa. Overall, including his time with Tampa, he reached 20/20 status (22 homers, 26 stolen bases) while maintaining his ability to play center field.

Interestingly, Pipeline still ranked Jones higher than Lewis, but one place means nothing. Drafted in the 12th round in that same 2024 draft out of Kansas State, Jones did one better than Lewis, reaching Double-A Somerset. He held his own at that level, hitting .250/.365/.415 in 340 plate appearances. Between Hudson Valley and Somerset, he compiled 20 doubles, 8 triples, and 11 home runs while stealing 51 bases in 60 attempts. Although I’m not usually one to draw MLB comparisons, Jones’ profile bears a striking resemblance to Brett Gardner.  He has some pop to the pull side, plays strong defense, and gets on base.  It wouldn’t surprise me if he reaches the MLB club in 2026, even though Pipeline projects his ETA as 2027. The odds he overachieves like Gardner aren’t great. I realize that.

Jasso was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023. In his first full season in 2024, he didn’t jump out, hitting .243/.329/.399 in 508 plate appearances between Tampa and Hudson Valley.

That was enough for the Yankees to bump him up to Somerset for 2025.  He didn’t disappoint, hitting .257/.326/.400 in 537 plate appearances with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and 76 RBI. Like Matheus, he projects as a utility player, though he isn’t the same type of player. He doesn’t possess any speed, but he has some pop and run production. Also, unlike Matheus, he won’t be playing shortstop. He may have enough range to cover second base, but is likely more of a “corners” type, including the potential to play some outfield.

Bottom Line:

You get what you pay for.

Peralta and Gore are likely going to cost prospects higher on the chain than the Yankees gave up. That assumes that either pitcher is traded. If they are, it appears it won’t be to the Yankees.

It’s funny that Talkin’ Yanks was throwing Lewis out there in Cabrera packages, only for him to end up in Florida for Weathers. I am not going to claim that the Yankees gave up future All-Stars here. However, I don’t quite understand this trade. Someone can try to enlighten me on the reason, because I’m having trouble figuring it out.

The Yankees’ Opening Day rotation is probably Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Luis Gil, and one of Will Warren, Ryan Yarbrough, or Paul Blackburn. Arrange those pitchers however you like under Fried.

The Yankees are hoping that Weathers, once a Top-100 prospect by Baseball America (2021) and Pipeline (2019), can stay healthy and live up to the talent he once was.

I am skeptical it will happen. Maybe settling into a bottom-of-the-rotation/swingman type of pitcher is good enough for the Yankees.

It isn’t good enough for me.