KC Royals castoff could continue to spell trouble for team in ALDS

When New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle issued a two-out walk to Garrett Hampson in the eighth inning of the American League Division Series opener on Saturday night, it appeared all was not yet lost for the Kansas City Royals. With the Yankees leading 6-5 after a controversy-rattled seventh inning, the walk put a potential tying-run on base with ninth-place hitter Maikel Garcia, who'd singled in the fourth, at the plate.

Enter, former-Royal Luke Weaver.

Weaver, a well-traveled reliever who has suddenly found success in the bullpen of the greatest franchise in baseball history, ended the on-base threat and, eventually, the game. Garcia struck out swinging at the third four-seamer Weaver offered, and Weaver subsequently retired Michael Massey, Bobby Witt Jr., and Vinnie Pasquantino in order — Massey and Witt Jr. on strikes — to preserve the Yankees' 6-5 victory and put the Royals down 1-0 in this best-of-five series.

Weaver pitching so well against them in such an important moment was something the Royals probably didn't anticipate when they cut him loose from the organization two years ago. Now, he may be a force they need to plan for.

The KC Royals let Luke Weaver go after the 2022 season

When Kansas City decided Weaver was dispensable and put him on waivers less than a month after the 2022 campaign ended, the time and circumstances were far different from how they are today.

At the time, the Royals desperately needed pitching as they struggled through what ultimately proved to be a foretelling 65-97 prelude to last year's terrible 106-loss season, so at the 2022 trade deadline, Kansas City dealt promising infielder Emmanuel Rivera to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Weaver. Despite having been knocked around for 14 runs in 16.1 innings in Arizona, things improved for the pitcher in Kansas City — but not by much. Weaver pitched 14 times for the Royals and gave up 15 runs (three unearned) in 19.1 innings, and was ultimately put on waivers after the season ended.

Weaver was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners, thereby ending his brief tenure in Kansas City, but in a curious turn of events, the Mariners let him go less than a month later. The Cincinnati Reds picked Weaver up only to release him during the 2023 season, at which time the Mariners re-signed him. Three weeks later, Seattle designated Weaver for assignment, and then he was off to the Yankees, who claimed him off waivers.

After signing a one-year deal with New York, Weaver began this season with a 27-42 major-league record spread across eight years and stints of varying lengths with the St. Louis Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Royals, Reds, and Mariners. But given what he's done for New York this year, he could be in The Bronx to stay.

Finishing off KC on Saturday is just part of Luke Weaver's recent success

Considering the standard he's set his short time with Yankees, the Royals shouldn't be surprised by how Weaver dominated them in Game 1. He entered September with a 3.31 ERA, 4-3 record, and 21 holds in 53 appearances out of manager Aaron Boone's bullpen. Then, on the strength of a 3-0, 1.50 ERA September that included his first four big league saves, his new status as New York's closer became clear.

That's why Boone chose Weaver when he needed someone to quash Kansas City's budding eighth-inning threat on Saturday, and why he stuck with him for the ninth. And given how he shut his former team down, Weaver could be a force with which the Royals must reckon before this Division Series ends.

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