3 teams who should be willing to make the NY Mets a dream Luke Weaver trade offer

When it comes to potential New York Mets trade chips, no one is more valuable than Luke Weaver right now. The right-hander has been one of the few David Stearns moves to actually pan out, and his 1.85 ERA and 2.49 FIP over 39 innings heading into the All-Star break look mighty good to contenders in need of a bullpen upgrade.

Beyond Weaver's performance in 2026, there are a handful of other factors that should drive his price tag up. First, there is the dearth of clear sellers. The American League is so bunched up that all but three teams are within 3.5 games of the final wild card spot. The National League is more stratified, but even perennial sellers like the Miami Marlins are considering buying this year.

Next, there's the value that Weaver provides. The 32-year-old is one of the more unique relievers in the game in that he has the ability to close out games, serve as a primary setup man, or be utilized as a fireman whenever needed, and pitch more than one inning with relative frequency.

Finally, there is his contract. The additional year of team control matters, and while his 2027 salary of $12.5 million isn't a bargain, it's also not egregious. It also means that the Mets have leverage in trade talks and can simply hold onto him if their price isn't met.

There should be no shortage of suitors for Weaver's services, but these three teams stand out as clubs that have the requisite desperation and assets to be motivated to give New York what it wants in exchange for Weaver.

These three teams stand out as perfect matches for Mets reliever Luke Weaver

The Seattle Mariners

USA Today's Bob Nightengale has reported that the Seattle Mariners are expected to be aggressive at the trade deadline and that a high-leverage reliever is one of their top needs. Seattle is in a dogfight to win the AL West, competing with both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, and with how crowded the wild card standings are, coming away with the division crown is imperative.

The Mariners have no shortage of high-end prospects, with six of their youngsters ranking inside MLB Pipeline's top 100. The Mets won't be able to snag last year's No. 3 overall pick, Kade Anderson, but back-end top 100 guys like outfielder Jonny Farmelo (No. 61) or shortstop Felnin Celesten (No. 71) could be in play. Toss in another near MLB-ready youngster like infielder Brock Rodden or left-handed pitcher Robinson Ortiz, and you have a pretty solid framework for a deal.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates beat writer Noah Hiles rang the alarm about Pittsburgh's bullpen a month ago, and if anything, things have gotten worse, not better. Pittsburgh has its share of former Mets relievers like Gregory Soto, Dennis Santana, and Yohan Ramirez, and of the trio, Ramirez is the only one to not disappoint. He's one of just three Pirates relievers with an ERA under 4.00. The other two are Evan Sisk, who is currently on the IL with left elbow inflammation, and long man Carmen Mlodzinski. Yikes!

The Pirates only have two prospects in the top 100 after a slew of graduations, and neither of those guys, No. 6-ranked Seth Hernandez nor No. 30-ranked Edward Florentino, will be in play for Weaver. But that doesn't mean that Pittsburgh doesn't have a lot of interesting youngsters. They could put together a quantity-over-quality type of package to get a deal done, offering up infielder Wyatt Sanford, right-handed pitcher Levi Sterling, and first baseman Callan Moss, as Rising Apple's own Tim Boyle suggests. Or, if Stearns insists on a more MLB-ready centerpiece, a smaller deal featuring outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia or second baseman Termarr Johnson might work, too.

Texas Rangers

There might not be a team in the league that needs Weaver more than the Texas Rangers. Their bullpen is a patchwork mess right now, especially from the right side. With righty setup man Jakob Junis on the IL, Texas's right-handed relief corps features four rookies, none of whom are highly touted, and Cole Winn, who has a 5.94 ERA on the season. All-Star closer Jacob Latz has been unreal and almost single-handedly saved their bullpen, but he's leading the world in two-inning saves right now because he's essentially working as his own setup man.

Rangers insider Evan Grant cited a right-handed leverage arm as a chief need and even posited that Weaver could be a solution. Texas doesn't have quite the robust farm system that the other two teams have, but pitcher Caden Scarborough, No. 63 in MLB Pipeline's top 100, could be a good starting point. The Rangers might have been more reluctant to part with him before the draft, but after using three of their first four picks on pitchers this year, they might be more willing to deal him.

As for MLB-ready pieces, there are a few ways things could go. Outfielder Alejandro Osuna has great on-base skills, even if the rest of his game needs refinement, and could be an option. So, too, could Cameron Cauley, who is a speedster with the ability to play second base, shortstop, and the outfield, and would be something of a poor man's A.J. Ewing. Lastly, one of those rookie bullpen arms could be an option as well, because though they're unproven, they do have some talent.

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