Yankees give Luke Weaver $2M, could reach $8.25M over 2 years

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Luke Weaver is guaranteed $2 million as part of his one-year contract with the New York Yankees, a deal that includes a team option for 2025 and performance bonuses that allow him to earn up to $8.25 million over two seasons.

As part of the deal announced Friday, the Yankees hold a $2.5 million option for 2025. The option price could increase by $3.5 million based on innings: $500,000 for 100 and $1 million each for 120, 140 and 160.

He can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses this year for both starts and relief appearances: $50,000 each for 10 starts and each additional five through 30, and $50,000 for 40 relief appearances and each additional five through 60.

Weaver was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from Seattle on Sept. 12, was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts and became a free agent. Weaver was the 27th overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft and is 27-42 with a 5.14 ERA in eight major league seasons with St. Louis (2016-18), Arizona (2019-22), Kansas City (2022), Cincinnati (2023), Seattle (2023) and the Yankees.

Another pitcher who reached a deal with the Yankees this month, right-hander Cody Poteet, would earn $750,000 while in the major leagues and $200,000 while assigned to the minors. Poteet, whose contract was announced Jan. 5, had Tommy John surgery with Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister on Aug. 17, 2022, while with Miami, then refused an outright assignment after the season and elected to become a free agent. He signed a minor league contract with Kansas City and returned to the mound to make a two-inning start for Triple-A Omaha at Columbus on Sept. 23.

The 29-year-old was 2-4 with a 4.45 ERA in nine starts and 10 relief appearances for Miami in 2021-22, striking out 53 and walking 27 in 58 innings. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins in the 2015 amateur draft, he is 19-39 in 100 starts and four relief appearances in eight minor league seasons.

Poteet last pitched on a major league mound on July 16, 2022, when he allowed five runs in the eighth inning of the Marlins' 10-0 loss to Philadelphia.