SNY | Phillip Martinez: Luke Weaver was such a valuable reliever for the Yankees for much of his tenure with the team, but an ugly second-half and postseason performance likely spells the end of his time
in pinstripes. The struggles began after returning from a hamstring injury in late June and only got worse as the team attempted to help him correct a pitch tipping issue, culminating in Weaver giving up five runs across three playoff appearances while recording just one out. He hits free agency reportedly seeking a team that will allow him to start games like the Mets did with Clay Holmes, and this almost certainly prices him out of the Yankees’ range.
Mass Live | Chris Cotillo: One of the teams that could have interest in Weaver is the Red Sox. They are reportedly looking for a mid-tier reliever to replace the outging Justin Wilson and Steven Matz and Cotillo predicts that Weaver will be their pick. He also relays that Devin Williams is not currently on their radar as they feel comfortable with Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock as their pair of high leverage relievers.
Bergen Record | Pete Caldera: Caldera looks ahead to the important dates on the offseason calendar. Free agency opens the day after the World Series concludes, and teams will have five days to extend qualifying offers to eligible players — the Yankees holding a decision on whether to extend the QO to Trent Grisham. General manager meetings run from November 10th-13th, and award voting follows the week of November 17th, Aaron Judge in a neck-and-neck race with Cal Raleigh for AL MVP. November 21st is the non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players, and winter meetings are held from December 8th-10th. Arbitration cases take place in mid-January, and then we’re just a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.
SNY | Anthony McCarron: McCarron ranks the Yankees’ offseason priorities, and center field takes the top spot. Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are both free agents — Bellinger has expressed interest in returning to the Yankees but will not take a discount while Grisham is a QO candidate. New York could look to make a bigger splash in free agency by signing Kyle Tucker, which could open an opportunity for Spencer Jones to grab a major league role with a huge spring. McCarron then goes full WFAN call-in show mode and suggests that the Yankees remake their lineup with fewer home run hitters and guys who strike out less, before recommending that they sign Pete Alonso with his next breath. Finally, the pitching staff could use reinforcements, including another high leverage arm to replace the outgoing Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, and a depth starter with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt all set to miss the start of the 2026 season.
ESPN: The Women’s Professional Baseball League will hold its inaugural season in 2026 and has chosen New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco as its first four teams. It is the first professional women’s baseball league since All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — of “A League of Their Own” fame — folded in 1954. The league was founded by Justine Siegal — the first woman to coach for an MLB team (2015 A’s) — and held tryouts to select 100 women who will enter the league draft. Each team will have 15 players with plans to expand to two more cities, and games will be played at a neutral venue.
