Arizona Diamondbacks trade P Luke Weaver to Kansas City Royals

The Arizona Diamondbacks have traded right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for third baseman Emmanuel Rivera, the team announced Monday.

In 63 games this year for Kansas City, Rivera is hitting .237 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. The 26-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday and made his MLB debut in June of 2021.

Weaver, 28, joined catcher Carson Kelly as the bulk of the return when the D-backs dealt star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2019 season.

What’s next ahead of the trade deadline?

Let’s begin with Picollo’s answer to that question.

Numerous scouts have been present in the Bronx this weekend and now Chicago with their eyes on Royals players. Beyond relievers such as Barlow, Staumont, Clarke and Coleman, multiple sources said teams are interested in position players such as Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor.

(Photo of Luke Weaver: D. Ross Cameron / USA Today)

Fantasy Baseball Week 26 Waiver Wire Adds: Michael Busch, Nolan Schanuel, Luke Weaver, Keibert Ruiz, Masataka Yoshida and More

Sep 16th 12:31 PM EDT .

MLB • FANTASY

It’s time for another week of fantasy baseball, which means we have some waiver wire options to discuss.

I hoped to have some more options than in the last waiver wire article, but things didn’t improve a ton over the weekend. I expanded my search a little bit and have several hitters and a reliever to discuss.

We avoid starting pitchers in this article because most of them are covered in streaming stories. Also be sure to check out the daily takeaway stories, where more waiver wire options might be found.

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What are they getting in Luke Weaver?

A pitcher who possesses an elite pedigree and was also sought recently by other teams.

In 2017, Weaver, then with the Cardinals, was a top-100 prospect. The right-hander posted a 3.88 ERA in 60 1/3 innings that season with 72 strikeouts and 17 walks in 13 games. Recently, per one league source, other teams beyond the Royals expressed interest in Weaver due to his pitch mix.

“He’s got really good stuff,” Picollo said. “His fastball is going to be anywhere from 94-97 mph. He’s got a plus breaking ball. Plus changeup.”

The Royals plan for Weaver to pitch the rest of this season in the bullpen, but his starting experience offers them some options for 2023, which will be Weaver’s final year of control before he becomes a free agent.