Angels right-hander Jered Weaver won’t pitch Sunday because of a back injury, but the erstwhile ace does aim to return in 2017.
“I am definitely not retiring,” Weaver told reporters, including Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times, on Saturday (Twitter link).
Weaver, a free agent-to-be, was on the fence about continuing his career earlier this week, saying Wednesday that he wasn’t sure if he’d come back next season. Now the question is whether Weaver will remain with the Angels. The 33-year-old (he’ll turn 34 on Tuesday) has been a member of the organization since it selected him 12th overall in the 2004 draft, but the three-time All-Star isn’t the asset he once was.
The Angels signed Weaver to a five-year, $85MM extension in August 2011, when he was amid a multiyear run as a front-line starter. From 2010 – his breakout season – through 2014, Weaver exceeded 200 innings three times and combined for a sparkling 2.99 ERA, 7.61 K/9 and 2.28 BB/9 over 1,016 1/3 frames. He morphed into a back-of-the-rotation type last year and has declined further during a career-worst 2016, which he’ll finish with a 5.06 ERA, 5.21 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 over 178 innings. Even in his heyday, Weaver was an extreme fly ball pitcher, but his 28.8 percent ground-ball rate this year is both the lowest mark of his career and the worst among major league starters. That has helped lead to a 12.7 percent home run-to-fly ball rate, another career-worst figure for Weaver.
Looking ahead to 2017, the Angels are rife with rotation questions, which could help the soft-tossing Weaver land another deal with them. Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano will likely miss all of next season after they underwent Tommy John procedures earlier this summer, while the surgery could also be in Garrett Richards’ future. Richards has recovered well since declining to to take the Tommy John route in May, when he instead chose stem-cell therapy treatment, but a setback would bring his availability for next year into question.
If the Angels are set to move on from Weaver, there might be a market for him elsewhere. It seemingly bodes well for him that free agency won’t feature many appealing options. While Weaver’s career has gone backward in recent seasons, he still possesses one of the top track records among soon-to-be free agent starters.
LOL at the people thinking the Angels will contend in 17
The angels talent wise are a lot better than their win loss record shows. Their offense can score but they lost a lot of starters to injury along with a bad/hurt bullpen. Not saying they will contend just saying they are better than most people think
2015 we got 85 wins. who’s we have then that we don’t have now?
Angels suck. If you have a record like you have now with Trout, Pujols and Callhoun on your team then you just flat out suck. Who cares what you did last season. A lot changes in a year. And I don’t want to hear people say Pujols has ab thing to do with why they sacked because he still had set numbers and had nothing to do with that losing record. The Angels will not contend until they add two good starters and a like 3 good relievers at least.
Also a 2nd baseman and LF
It doesn’t matter if you have trout, Bryant , Donaldson, or goldschmidt if your whole rotation gets injured
3 Starters.
Setup Man.
Closer.
2nd baseman.
LF.
Manger that the game has not passed by.
GM that’s not a puppet.
New Owner to fix all the above.
The game is utilizing much of the kind of baseball Scioscia preaches, and Eppler has his own philosophy similar to Scioscia’s brought over from the Yankees organization. Do your homework before commenting on a site that actually has knowledgeable baseball fans.
Concur! Arguably the worst organization in the MLB.
Angel fan keeps crying over injuries…. Yet the Dodgers had more players hit the DL than any team in baseball. And guess what Angel fan, they won the NL West. How about build an organization from top to bottom Angel fan?
LOLOLOL at any baseball fan who is foolish enough to have certainty about whether or not any team given team will contend in any given season. Genius!
Just because Jared aims to pitch next year doesn’t mean there is a major league team willing to let him. He will make a nice one-two with Lincecum for some independent team.
Shane and 5 are correct! That’s is the sad and cruel reality with this organization that was once-before a world class organization… it has been ran I to the ground by bad management, moronic trades and idiotic contract signing …
Cardinals have only five 90 win seasons in the last 11 years. Yet they have 7 playoff appearances and 2 championships. The first of which was an 83 win season. So what’s the difference? The Angels actually had a better record in 2012 than the AL pennant winner that season but didn’t win a playoff spot. Yeah, the first thing is always level of competition. The AL East will tell you everything you need to know about that. The Angels have done all they’ve needed to to get back tot he playoffs and World Series. But the Rangers, A’s, and Astros have all stepped forward in the division at different times in the last 7 years. Whereas before that, the Angels were just being handed their division titles… Get it yet?
Ran into the ground and below ground ….
I feel like he will be the veteran the Phillies sign if they can’t re sign hellickson…I would prefer not to have him but….just makes sense in my mind idk
Weaver makes sense for no team. Every MLB hitter is praying he returns next season. He should only be throwing in the ASG Home Run Derby contest.
I feel like the angels should keep him, nobody can count out his competitiveness for the game, he’s a warrior when he is right, The angels need a mentor to show the young pitchers they have the ropes. He’s not the same bulldog he once was but he has turned himself into a craftsmen.
Angels need to resign him..even if it means he comes out of the bullpen..would be good for the young guys too!
I like how everyone craps on weaver, but no one has anything bad to say about Chris young
People saying Halos are bad must be the most ignorant comment you can make about this team. Having Trop, Skaggs, Richards, Shoe, Heaney all go down is apparently a team that is bad. lol.
Angels should resign Weaver. 2m max though
Weaver may want to pitch in ’17 but I’d certainly hope it’s not with the Angels.