Veteran Angels right Jered Weaver suggested last night that he is still not sure whether he’ll pitch in 2017 and beyond, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Weaver says his focus at present is getting his back ready for one final start in the current campaign, which could be his last with the Halos as the open market beckons.
Weaver has largely been available this year for Los Angeles, turning in 31 starts, even if the results haven’t been there. And he tells Fletcher that he still feels capable of pitching at the major league level as a starter.
“I feel like I can,” said Weaver. “I feel like my body is responding to what I’ve been doing over the past year and a half, two years. I haven’t really thought about next year, to tell you the truth. I have been focused on getting through this one.”
While he may not yet have really drilled in on the question of whether he’ll carry on, the 33-year-old does seem to have given at least some thought to the process. “It’s a decision I’ll have to make in the next couple months,” he said, seemingly indicating that he won’t be rushing into any final call right at season’s end. Weaver had said that he’d sit down with the media this week to discuss his future, but Fletcher tweets that the session won’t involve any announcements of his intentions.
Weaver is currently sitting on a career-high 5.06 ERA over his 178 frames in 2016. That follows a rough 2015 season and ongoing questions about his velocity and back health. Before that, of course, Weaver was one of the league’s more reliable, top-of-the-rotation workhorses.
While the Angels and other possible suitors surely won’t look upon Weaver as much more than a back-of-the-rotation depth piece, there’s certainly reason to believe that he’d be pursued. Whether any club will promise him a rotation spot, or offer much of a guarantee, is less clear. Even as the results have improved somewhat over the second half of this year, Weaver has allowed a troubling .300/.350/.525 batting line to the last 331 hitters to dig in against him, which is actually a bit worse than his first-half numbers.
I think he’s done. Great career though
He can still provide value, innings, and leadership. I would like to see the Angels bring him back (albeit on a much smaller one year contract) to provide stability and a veteran presence to a rotation that will need it due to all the injuries.
Stability? He’s getting crushed and it’s only going to get worse. A guy with those numbers isn’t providing any stability or valye to a pitching rotation
Even in a weak free agent market there are more reliable options than Jered Weaver.
He seems like a minor league contract- NRI type guy who would compete for a rotation spot in spring training- like Wandy did last season– honestly, the Angels would probably be the best fit for him looking at the market.
He should look into coaching
Jered Weaver needs to mull over a haircut
If it’s anything like his fastball, this decision could take a while.
Harsh… But I laughed out loud!
He may have suitors but I certainly hope the Angels aren’t one of them.
He should consider being a swing man and pitching out of the pen like his brother did late in his career.