4 player moves KC Royals likely wish they could undo

The KC Royals may regret putting pitcher Luke Weaver on waivers two seasons ago

Few fans gave the move a second thought when the Royals placed Luke Weaver on the waiver wire after the 2022 campaign ended. Obtained from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline in exchange for infielder Emmanuel Rivera, the right-handed reliever pitched only 19.1 innings down the stretch, didn't figure in any decisions or save any games, and posted a 5.59 ERA. So when 97-loss Kansas City started making postseason moves, letting Weaver go made sense.

The Seattle Mariners claimed Weaver and, through a curious series of subsequent moves, he ended up with the New York Yankees late last season. The rest, as the old saying goes, is history — Weaver is now the king of New York's bullpen, a closer so efficient that manager Aaron Boone doesn't hesitate to use him in tough spots. That he's become so good after leaving Kansas City is reason enough for the Royals to bemoan cutting him loose.

But what he did to them recently must make their collective blood boil.

It was Weaver who, with Kansas City trailing by just a run, snuffed out the Royals' promising potential eighth-inning rally in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, then closed them out with a three-up, three-down ninth. And, as we suggested he could immediately following the opener, he remained a thorn in KC's side by saving Game 3, and then the deciding Game 4.

A do-over? That would be nice...