Angels righty Jered Weaver isn’t ready to decide whether or not he’ll be back in 2017, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. “There’s still a lot of season left,” said the veteran hurler. “When the time comes to answer those questions, I will.” Though Weaver has been hit hard this year, there are some positives, including a steadily rising average fastball velocity (albeit one that still sits in the mid-eighties). Both Angels GM Billy Eppler and Weaver’s agent Scott Boras note that the 33-year-old has been durable this year, though he is now two seasons removed from being a high-quality major league starter. It’s not yet clear whether the Halos will have interest in continuing their longstanding relationship with Weaver, who has spent all 11 years of his career with the organization and is finishing out a five-year, $85MM contract.
Here’s more from the American League:
- The Athletics seem unlikely at this point to receive another start from righty Sonny Gray in the 2016 season, as John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group writes. Oakland’s medical staff still hasn’t cleared Gray to begin throwing. Without much time in the minor league season to permit a rehab assignment, the road back to the big league hill may not pick up again in earnest until the spring. Manager Bob Melvin suggests that the best outcome at this point may be for Gray to “just throw off a mound and throw a bullpen” to give the 26-year-old “peace of mind about how he feels going into the offseason.”
- Mariners righty Drew Storen is headed to the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation, per a club announcement. His active roster spot will go to outfielder Guillermo Heredia. While the Seattle pen has several injured hurlers filtering back to the majors and remains a solid overall unit, it’s another blow for the 29-year-old Storen. Since coming to the M’s a few weeks back after being designated by the Blue Jays, Storen has thrown 10 1/3 innings of 4.35 ERA ball. That’s an improvement in the results department over his poor half-season in Toronto, but Storen has recorded only six strikeouts in Seattle and hasn’t reversed his pronounced velocity decline. He’ll be a free agent after the year, and will surely end up seeking an opportunity to bounce back and return to being the quality late-inning arm he was during most of his six seasons with the Nationals. [Related: Updated Mariners Depth Chart]
- Adding to several firings in the upper reaches of their scouting and player development departments, the Blue Jays have decided to part ways with minor league pitching coordinator Sal Fasano, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. The long-time MLB catcher has been with the Toronto organization in various capacities since 2010. GM Ross Atkins recently discussed the team’s changes and plans for finding replacements.
Sad Weaver’s career is ending this way with such a drastic drop off. You do have to go back to 2012 to find Weaver’s last truly good season with a sub 3 ERA and leading the league is WHIP. All good things come to an end I suppose. I think if the Angels or Dodgers have zero interest in signing him he will retire before the start of the 2017 season. .
I agree it’s been sad to see Weaver’s decline, and especially so this season. However, I do disagree that 2012 was his last “good” season (it was a heck of a lot better than good), as he had a 1.20 WHIP, 18-9 record, and 3.59 ERA in 213 innings in 2014. It will be interesting to see if he wants to play somewhere on a smaller $ one-year deal, whether it’s in Anaheim or elsewhere.
You might want to take a peak again. 2014 was the beginning of the end for Weaver. His peripherals showed he was getting by on luck. His homer total jumped, his FIP was over 4.00, his WHIP, HR/9, Runs, walks, and BB/9 were the highest it had been in five years. and his ERA+ painted him as league average.
I seem to remember his Weaver’s older brother having a similar rapid decline, at an even younger age.
Shapiro and Atkins are just firing the entire front office staff and are just gonna bring in their buddies from Cleveland. The Jays have been one of the best teams at drafting and developing players they just usually trade them away
Really? Whom did the Blue Jays developed ? Sanchez and Osuna are the only standouts and they’re not exactly well established yet. Pillar and Stroman look like good complimentary pieces, but who else? Their MLB scouting has been very good, but amateur scouting isn’t exactly tops in the league.
Keep Weaver in Anaheim..have him come out the bullpen..
Might see an uptick in his velo – to 85.
My guess is Weaver is signed to a one year contract with the Angels for a few million that’s incentive laden.
The issue is that now days at MLB level… It is hard to be competitive with a FB that tops 82-85 MPH… Good hitters will wait until the second time around the lineup, time it right and from that moment on is pretty much batting practice … Weaver had a great run and I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to hang it up…