Yankees start 2025 offseason by making easiest option decision of all time

For the first time, but surely not the last time, this offseason, the New York Yankees have made a bullpen move. Earnestly, this might not even be the last time the Yankees mess around with the contract of the same 'pen arm.

Luke Weaver, the biggest bargain in the Bronx, came to the Yankees last offseason as a converted No. 5 starter looking to hone his craft under Matt Blake and potentially become a swingman. He ended the season as a lockdown closer/fire-breathing dog during an exciting run to the World Series.

At the end of October, he was overburdened. He was used every single day. He still managed to mostly gas it up in Game 5 of the World Series, surrendering some sac flies while attempting to clean up someone else's mess, ending the year on a "sour note," but only by comparison.

And now, as anyone could've guessed, the Yankees have picked up their 2025 team option on Weaver for just $2.5 million. Show of hands, who feels like they might eventually tack two or three more expensive years onto the end of that as a display of good faith?

Yankees exercise Luke Weaver's 2025 option. Contract extension next?

Now, it's time for the Yankees to find some swing and miss to add to that bullpen and build around him. They've got a far more difficult (eh, not really) option decision coming up in the next few days when they have to pick and choose how to handle Lou Trivino's $5 million club option for 2025. Trivino didn't pitch at the big-league level last season after several unsuccessful rehab spurts.

They can also either pay Anthony Rizzo $17 million to stay or $6 million to exit stage right. That'll be somewhat emotional, but probably not all that difficult, at the end of the day.

For now? Three cheers for Weaver, who paired a devastating tailing changeup with a heater that more than held its own in the zone. He remains part of the Yankees' solution. Unfortunately for him, there are a whole lot of problems in his current unit that he can't solve. Someone's got to replace both Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes, and a few more reliable arms are going to have to be added, too.