Opinion: Yankees acquisition of southpaw starter Ryan Weathers is risky

Ryan Weathers (Ryan Casey Aguinaldo, Wikimedia Commons)

There was a trade made between the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins on Tuesday, and anyway you look at it, this trade is very risky for the Yankees. The reason is because the only player the Yankees are getting from the Marlins has had injury troubles the last two years.

The Yankees are acquiring starting pitcher Ryan Weathers of Loretto, Tennessee in the deal. In return, the Marlins acquired outfielder prospects Brendan Jones of Nashville, Tennessee, and Dillon Lewis of Columbia, Maryland, third base prospects Dylan Jasso of Parral, Mexico, and Juan Matheus of Lara, Venezuela according to Rogers Sportsnet.

Weathers is joining his third Major League Baseball team. He has previously played three seasons with the San Diego Padres (2021 to 2023), and three seasons with the Miami Marlins (2023 to 2025).

In 38 1/3 innings pitched with the Marlins in 2025, Weathers had a record of two wins and two losses for an earned run average of 3.99. In eight games, he gave up 37 hits, 17 earned runs, seven home runs, and 12 walks, to go along with 37 strikeouts, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.28.

Weathers’s first win of the season came on May 14. He gave up one earned run in five innings during a 3-1 Marlins win over the Chicago Cubs. Then on September 11, Weathers earned his second win of the season as he threw five shutout innings in a 5-0 Marlins win over the Washington Nationals.

Weathers has one save in his career. Ironically, this was in his Major League debut–a 7-0 Padres win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 3.

In 2024, Weathers strained his finger. Then, in 2025, Weathers strained his forearm and lat. As a result, he only pitched in a combined total of 24 games. The injury issues make this transaction risky for the Yankees.