Toronto Blue Jays scouring the bullpen market at Winter Meetings

According to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, Luke Weaver is one of the many relievers on the Blue Jays radar.

Weaver temporarily served as the Yankees' closer in 2025, but would presumably be used just in a high-leverage capacity by the Jays, and probably isn't viewed as a candidate to supplant Jeff Hoffman in the ninth inning. (unlike other Blue Jays targets Robert Suarez or the newly-signed Dodger Edwin Diaz).

Weaver posted a 3.62 ERA, 7.6% walk rate, and 27.5% strikeout rate, with very strong chase and whiff rates accompanying that impressive K%.

Weaver's 2025 season was a Jekyll-and-Hyde campaign built around a three-week absence in June due to a hamstring strain.

Weaver had a 1.05 ERA over 25 2/3 innings prior to his stint on the injured list, and then a 5.31 ERA over his final 39 innings of the season.

If the regular-season woes weren't enough, Weaver was then charged with five earned runs over what was officially just one-third of an inning pitched over three playoff appearances, the Blue Jays themselves contributed to this misery by scoring three runs off Weaver without a batter retired in their 10-1 rout in Game 1 of the ALDS.

The long ball was a big part of Weaver's problem, as eight of his 10 home runs allowed in 2025 came following his IL stint.

His 27.5% grounder rate was one of the worst in the league, and well below the 38.7% grounder rate he'd posted over nine previous big league seasons.

The big question facing the Blue Jays or any other suitors is whether or not this susceptibility to home runs is a new reality for Weaver, or either a lingering after-effect of his hamstring injury or perhaps just because of some tipped pitches.

Nicholson-Smith also notes, spending huge money on a closer probably isn't an ideal situation for Toronto's front office, so Weaver represents an option a tier below Suarez's asking price.

Beyond signing a reliever, another option would be to add bullpen help via the trade market, and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon write that the Blue Jays «are considering» the idea of trading an outfielder for a reliever.