Yankees Acquire Ryan Weathers in Prospect Deal to Cover Rotation Gaps

The New York Yankees announced last Tuesday night, January 14, 2026, that they have acquired left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins in a four-player prospect trade aimed at strengthening a rotation facing early-season uncertainty. Miami will receive outfielders Dillon Lewis and Brendan Jones, along with infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus, while New York adds a controllable pitcher with experience as both a starter and reliever.

Weathers, 26, is the son of former Yankees reliever David Weathers, who pitched for the club during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. David Weathers was part of the Yankees’ 1996 World Series championship team and allowed one run over 11 postseason innings as the franchise won its first title since 1978. His son now joins a Yankees pitching staff preparing to open the season without several established starters.

The timing of the trade is directly tied to the Yankees’ health situation. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt are all expected to begin the season on the injured list while recovering from surgical procedures. With those absences, the Yankees have prioritized depth and flexibility. Weathers provides both, having worked primarily as a starter while also appearing out of the bullpen, and he has one minor league option remaining. He is under club control for the next three seasons and is scheduled to earn $1.35 million this year.

Over the past two seasons with Miami, Weathers made 24 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 125 innings. His 2025 season was limited to eight starts due to injury, during which he recorded a 3.99 ERA and a 4.60 FIP over 38 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts. His fastball averaged between 96.8 and 97 miles per hour, and his arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, changeup, sweeper, sinker, and slider. A first-round pick by the San Diego Padres in the 2018 Draft, Weathers was traded to the Marlins in 2023.

Weathers’ recent seasons have been disrupted by injuries, including a forearm strain, a lat strain, a finger strain, and a left flexor muscle strain during Spring Training over the last two years. His career high for starts in a single season is 18, which came during his rookie campaign with San Diego.

Ryan Weathers has added velo & ride to his fastballs, & has increased his stuff numbers gradually over time. He’s also throwing closer to his max velo, going from a ~4mph difference to under three in the last two years. ASMI found that throwing closer to your max = more stress. pic.twitter.com/Tn1p0Y3uTM

— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) January 14, 2026

As the Yankees worked to reinforce their rotation, the betting market remained largely unchanged. In mid-January, World Series odds across major sportsbooks placed New York within a narrow range. FanDuel listed the Yankees at +700, DraftKings and BetMGM listed them at +750, and PointsBet and Caesars posted odds of +850. Those prices were similar to early offseason numbers, which opened around +750, showing that the injuries to the rotation and the addition of Weathers have not caused a major shift in how sportsbooks view the team.

The expected absence of Cole, Rodón, and Schmidt has played a central role in keeping the Yankees from shorter odds, even as they remain among the top contenders. Weathers is projected to slot behind Max Fried in a rotation that also includes Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Luis Gil, with Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn available as depth options. Fried, Schlittler, and Warren are all coming off career highs in innings pitched, a factor that influenced the Yankees’ continued search for starting pitching.

Award markets have remained active, particularly around Aaron Judge. In American League MVP odds, Judge was listed at +200 on FanDuel, +225 on DraftKings, and approximately +300 at BetMGM, showing variation among sportsbooks rather than a clear trend.

The prospect package sent to Miami included three players ranked among the Yankees’ top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. Lewis was the highest-ranked of the group, listed eighth in the system by Baseball America. A 13th-round pick in 2024, Lewis improved his standing with a strong 2025 season, posting a 121 wRC+ across Low-A and High-A, hitting 22 home runs, stealing 26 bases, and earning recognition as the organization’s best outfield defender in the minor leagues. Jones, a 12th-round pick in 2024 and ranked No. 15, posted a 132 wRC+ at Double-A Somerset and stole 51 bases across multiple levels. Jasso, ranked No. 23, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and can play first, second, and third base. Matheus, 21, was an international signing valued for his bat-to-ball skills.

Before completing the deal for Weathers, the Yankees explored other pitching options, including Miami’s Edward Cabrera, who was traded to the Chicago Cubs, as well as Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta and Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Those alternatives required a higher prospect cost, and New York chose a deal that preserved its top assets. One opposing scout summarized the move by saying the Yankees “didn’t trade anyone they’ll miss.”

The trade took place as the Yankees continued contract talks with Cody Bellinger. Reports stated the club discussed a five-year offer worth between $155 million and $160 million, while Bellinger’s camp continued to seek a seven-year deal. The Yankees have also been linked to possible bullpen upgrades after Luke Weaver and Devin Williams departed for the New York Mets.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in roughly a month, and the addition of Ryan Weathers gives the Yankees another option as they manage early-season absences and workload concerns across their pitching staff.