Luke Weaver was one of the pieces dealt by the Mets at this year's trade deadline, a move that came as a surprise given his remaining year under contract.
The Mets sent Weaver to the Pirates for shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, who is now the organization's No. 3 prospect in Joe DeMayo's latest rankings.
Weaver had another year under contract after signing a two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets this past offseason, making his trade all the more puzzling.
In 42 appearances for the Mets, Weaver pitched to a 1.84 ERA and was arguably the top reliever available.
Weaver himself expressed his desire to stay with the Mets, telling reporters he "strongly" wanted to remain with the club past the deadline.
"I was very upfront. I told them, 'I hope you know I want to stay,'" Weaver said before Friday's series opener. "I made my commitment … but I understand how this goes. It's not my first rodeo."
The Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns, explained his reasoning for dealing Weaver, saying the returns they got made sense and were in the best interest of the organization.
Ultimately, the decision came down to the value of relief pitching at the trade deadline, with the Mets opting to trade Weaver and another reliever, Husacar Brazoban.
Weaver's departure marks a significant blow to the Mets' bullpen, an area they struggled with this season.
The team's struggles were compounded by a series of changes made throughout the season, including the addition of new players and coaches.
Weaver acknowledged the challenges the team faced, saying "a lot of changes that were made, a lot of new people that were brought in, a lot of new faces" made it difficult to adapt.
"A lot of great teams we have seen in the past have a lot of chemistry, a lot of deep-rooted connection that has happened over time," he said. "It's not always like that, but there's a lot of those history book teams that have that, and I think it gets taken for granted how much that needed to happen, and it was happening. It has just got to link together on the field."
Weaver made his first appearance with the Pirates against his former team on Friday, pitching a scoreless inning in relief.
Despite the trade, Weaver remains committed to helping the Pirates in their push for the playoffs.
The Pirates' next game is on Saturday, where they will look to build on the momentum gained from Weaver's strong debut.
Source: Yahoo Sports