RHP Luke Weaver
Luke Weaver, a former first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2014, played in parts of three seasons with the organization. He was one of the biggest names sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2018 deal that brought Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis.
Weaver struggled with nearly a half dozen teams before settling in with the New York Yankees in 2024. He eventually became the Yankees' closer in 2024, and held that role once again in 2025. Weaver has logged 29 saves with a 3.21 ERA over the last two seasons with the Yankees, and he enters free agency on a bit of a high note.
The 32-year-old righty was exceptional for the Yankees in the postseason in 2024 en route to a World Series appearance. He posted a 1.76 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings. He will receive a multi-year deal worth tens of millions of dollars this weekend. Most outlets project him for a two or three-year deal with an AAV around $10 or $12 million.
LHP Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery was the reciprocal piece in the trade that sent Harrison Bader to the Yankees in 2022. Monty quickly became the Cardinals' best starter in 2022 and 2023, but the Cardinals were unable to keep him on the team beyond the 2023 trade deadline. In his one year with the club, Monty posted a 3.31 ERA across 184.2 innings and 32 starts.
Since leaving the Cardinals, Jordan Montgomery has experienced a rollercoaster of a career. From winning the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers to missing more than a year of baseball due to injury with the Arizona Diamondbacks, few players have experienced a wider range of emotions or results than Jordan Montgomery.
Monty now enters free agency on a low point, as he hasn't thrown a pitch in the majors since September of 2024. There will be some teams (the Cardinals, maybe?) who will be willing to take a flyer on the southpaw on a one-year deal. He'll have to rely on his track record to land a lucrative deal, but there's a solid chance that Jordan Montgomery signs a one-year deal exceeding $15 million.
