Luke Weaver

Diamondbacks righty Luke Weaver has hired the Boras Corporation to represent him, per Robert Murray (via Twitter). This agency relationship is now reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

Weaver, 26, is slated to reach arbitration eligibility in advance of the 2021 season. His earning power will depend upon not only what he’s able to accomplish on the field in a truncated 2020 campaign, but how the arbitration system ultimately adapts to a short season and uncertain economic situation.

Last year, Weaver’s first in Arizona, was both a rousing success and yet another reminder of the fragility of pitchers. He worked to a 2.94 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in a dozen outings, but health issues put him on the injured list for the rest of the campaign.

Fortunately, Weaver’s elbow and forearm maladies responded well to rest and treatment. He was able to get back to the mound very late in the season. Though he wasn’t at full speed in spring camp, Weaver had made two outings when the coronavirus halted things.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see what Weaver is able to do when the 2020 campaign finally gets underway. He could certainly be an appealing extension target for the D-Backs, though his new reps are better known for taking players to free agency than negotiating extensions.

Luke Weaver hasn’t thrown a pitch for the D-backs since late May, when he was diagnosed with a forearm strain and a UCL injury, but the righty’s 2019 season isn’t necessarily over. Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes that Weaver is slated to throw a bullpen session later today, after which he could either toss a simulated game or pitch in a postseason game for a minor league affiliate. Most encouraging of all for D-backs fans is that Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo tells Ladson he thinks there’s a “strong chance” Weaver will return to a big league mound in 2019.

It’s a welcome development for D-backs fans not only because some have feared that Weaver’s injury would culminate in surgery but also because the Diamondbacks have pulled themselves within two and a half games of the National League’s second Wild Card spot. With 18 games yet to play, they’re still a postseason underdog, but there’s a legitimate chance that they could find their way into a play-in game despite shipping Zack Greinke to the Astros in the final minutes of this year’s trading period. There’s also, apparently, a legitimate chance that Weaver will be able to impact that race and any subsequent postseason endeavors.

It seems unlikely that the Diamondbacks would be able to get Weaver stretched out sufficiently enough to resume his role as a conventional starter, but he could presumably work in shorter stints if he’s cleared to return. Given Robbie Ray’s recent blister issues, some added bullpen depth would be of benefit to Lovullo in the final weeks. Arizona is currently carrying a whopping 12 relievers, so it’s not as if Lovullo is lacking options, but a healthy Weaver would be superior to the majority of said options — many of whom are unproven at the MLB level.

Weaver, 26, went to the Diamondbacks along with Carson Kelly, minor league utilityman Andy Young and a Competitive Balance (Round B) draft pick in the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis. While some fans were frustrated by the lack of a marquee prospect headlining the deal, both Weaver and Kelly were top-tier farmhands in St. Louis before debuting and were ready to step directly onto the roster. A strong 2019 showing for Kelly and terrific early results for Weaver have helped to justify that deal for the D-backs. In 62 1/3 innings prior to going on the injured list, Weaver pitched to a 3.03 ERA (3.10 FIP, 3.83 SIERA) with 9.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9 and a 40.7 percent ground-ball rate. He’s controlled through the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2020-21 offseason.

Arm problems have kept Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver out of action for almost a month, but the right-hander’s seemingly moving toward a return. A follow-up MRI on Weaver “showed improvement,” Steve Gilbert of MLB.com tweets. It’s still unclear when he’ll begin a throwing program, per Gilbert, though manager Torey Lovullo called Weaver’s progress “a very good sign.”

An injury to Weaver’s right ulnar collateral ligament and flexor pronator could have sent him to the operating table at the end of May, but a group of doctors agreed he could try to rehab without surgery. So far, so good for Weaver and the Diamondbacks, who can ill afford to see the 25-year-old go under the knife. The club’s starting staff has already been without the injured Taijuan Walker, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2018 and has more recently battled shoulder problems. Plus, in addition to Weaver and Walker, the team put fellow promising righty Jon Duplantier on the injured list June 12 with shoulder inflammation.

The absences of Weaver, Walker and Duplantier have left sizable holes in Arizona’s rotation after Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray and Merrill Kelly, helping to explain its recent slide down the standings. Having received unappealing results from Zack Godley and Taylor Clarke, the Diamondbacks are an unimpressive 39-40. However, they’re still just two games behind the Cardinals for the NL’s second wild-card spot.

Should the D-backs continue to hang around the playoff picture, a healthy Weaver could serve as an important in-season reinforcement. Acquired from the Cardinals last winter in a package for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Weaver has pitched to an outstanding 3.03 ERA/3.07 FIP with 9.82 K/9 and 2.02 BB/9 in 62 1/3 innings this season in his first action in the desert.