Pirates Rumors: Luke Weaver trade bidding war with division rival brewing

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been linked to Luke Weaver for several days now, but their path to landing the New York Mets reliever suddenly looks a lot more complicated.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers are among the teams showing strong interest in Weaver, one of the most coveted relief pitchers available ahead of Monday's trade deadline.

And thus begins a sentence Pirates fans have learned to dread: There could be a bidding war.

Weaver has certainly pitched well enough to warrant one. The right-hander owns a 1.88 ERA through 41 appearances this season, and some clubs reportedly view him as the best reliever available if the San Diego Padres ultimately decide against dealing from their bullpen.

The contract is manageable, too. Weaver is owed roughly $2.4 million after Aug. 3 and another $11 million in 2027. That's hardly pocket change by Pirates standards, but for a team that desperately needs legitimate late-inning help, it shouldn't be prohibitive.

The much bigger question is what Pittsburgh would be willing to surrender. The Mets reportedly have interest in Pirates prospects Murf Gray and Sammy Stafura, with both players discussed in potential deals between the clubs. Gray is MLB Pipeline's No. 99 overall prospect, while Stafura ranks No. 9 in Pittsburgh's system.

Weaver would represent exactly the kind of addition the Pirates should be pursuing. Their bullpen has been a recurring weakness all season, and adding someone with his performance level would give manager Don Kelly another leverage option and potentially prevent Pittsburgh from having to force less reliable arms into spots they aren't equipped to handle. But there is obviously a line.

Moving one significant prospect for Weaver can be justified. Getting dragged into an auction against Milwaukee and unnecessarily inflating the price is another matter entirely. And do Pirates fans really trust Ben Cherington to navigate a bidding war?

Pirates losing Luke Weaver sweepstakes to division rival Brewers would be worst possible trade deadline outcome

Pittsburgh has spent years being connected to players without actually acquiring them. We've repeatedly heard that the Pirates were "in on" someone, had conversations about someone or showed interest in someone, only for another club to close the deal.

This time, losing out would sting even more because one of the clubs standing in their way is an NL Central rival, and potentially one the Pirates could be battling for playoff positioning down the stretch. Watching Weaver end up in Milwaukee after Pittsburgh spent days being linked to him would be an almost painfully predictable outcome.

That doesn't mean Cherington should panic and give the Mets whatever they want. Gray, in particular, has done far too much to rebuild his prospect stock to be casually tossed into a deadline deal. If New York is demanding both Gray and Stafura, Pittsburgh should have no problem walking away.

But there is also danger in becoming so protective of prospects that the organization never actually uses its farm system to improve the major-league team. The Pirates are in a playoff race, and their biggest weakness is obvious. Weaver would directly address it, and unlike a rental, Pittsburgh would control him through next season.

Cherington doesn't need to wildly overpay just because Milwaukee is involved. But if the Brewers acquire Weaver for a prospect package the Pirates easily could have matched, the explanation that Pittsburgh was "in the mix" isn't going to satisfy anyone.

This is the kind of bidding war a serious contender occasionally has to win.

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