Luke Weaver conveyed a strong desire to remain with the New York Mets before his trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran reliever was sent to Pittsburgh on Monday in exchange for infield prospect Sammy Stafura. Weaver had expressed his wish to Mets officials, stating he was upfront about wanting to stay.
"I hope you know I want to stay," Weaver said. "I made my commitment… but I understand how this goes. It’s not my first rodeo."
Weaver, who signed a two-year contract worth $22 million last winter, pitched to a 1.84 earned run average in 42 appearances for the Mets. He was traded on Monday, and by Friday, he was set for a potential appearance against his former team.
When asked to assess the Mets' struggles this season, Weaver pointed to the significant changes made within the organization. "There’s a lot of changes that were made, a lot of new people that were brought in, a lot of new faces," he said. "I don’t think necessarily it was a bad thing, but I think people underestimate change and how much you have got to adapt in a short period of time."
He further elaborated on the importance of team chemistry, noting that many successful teams build deep-rooted connections over time. "A lot of great teams we have seen in the past have a lot of chemistry, a lot of deep-rooted connection that has happened over time. It’s not always like that, but there’s a lot of those history book teams that have that, and I think it gets taken for granted how much that needed to happen, and it was happening. It has just got to link together on the field."
In other Mets news, interim manager Andy Green reported that Mark Vientos is scheduled to begin hitting off a tee as he aims for a September return to the active roster. Vientos has been on the injured list since July 10 after sustaining a fractured right hand from a pitch.
The Mets also claimed infielder Gabriel Arias off waivers from Cleveland. Rookie outfielder Carson Benge had reached base in 11 consecutive games entering play, recording a .941 OPS with two home runs during that stretch.