Luke Weaver guaranteed $2 million by Yankees and could earn up to $8.25 million over 2 years

Updated Jan. 22, 2024 4:48 p.m. ET

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NEW YORK (AP) — Right-hander Luke Weaver is guaranteed $2 million as part of his one-year contract with the New York Yankees, a deal that includes a team option for 2025 and performance bonuses that allow him to earn up to $8.25 million over two seasons.

As part of the deal announced Friday, the Yankees hold a $2.5 million option for 2025. The option price could increase by $3.5 million based on innings: $500,000 for 100 and $1 million each for 120, 140 and 160.

He can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses this year for both starts and relief appearances: $50,000 each for 10 starts and each additional five through 30, and $50,000 for 40 relief appearances and each additional five through 60.

Weaver was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from Seattle on Sept. 12, was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts and became a free agent. Weaver was the 27th overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft and is 27-42 with a 5.14 ERA in eight major league seasons with St. Louis (2016-18), Arizona (2019-22), Kansas City (2022), Cincinnati (2023), Seattle (2023) and Yankees.

Closer Clay Holmes, who avoided salary arbitration with a $6 million, one-year contract on Jan. 11, can earn an additional $50,000 in performance bonuses for games finished: $25,000 each for 30 and 40. The 30-year-old right-hander had 41 games finished last season, when he went 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA and 24 saves in 27 chances.

Another pitcher who reached a deal with the Yankees this month, right-hander Cody Poteet, would earn $750,000 while in the major leagues and $200,000 while assigned to the minors. Poteet, whose contract was announced Jan. 5, had Tommy John surgery with Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister on Aug. 17, 2022, while with Miami, then refused an outright assignment after the season and elected to become a free agent. He signed a minor league contract with Kansas City and returned to the mound to make a two-inning start for Triple-A Omaha at Columbus on Sept. 23.

The 29-year-old was 2-4 with a 4.45 ERA in nine starts and 10 relief appearances for Miami in 2021-22, striking out 53 and walking 27 in 58 2/3 innings. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins in the 2015 amateur draft, he is 19-39 in 100 starts and four relief appearances in eight minor league seasons.

Poteet last pitched on a major league mound on July 16, 2022, when he allowed five runs in the eighth inning of the Marlins’ 10-0 loss to Philadelphia.

Outfielder Alex Verdugo, who avoided arbitration with an $8.7 million, one-year contract, can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $25,000 each for 350 and 450. Obtained from Boston last month, Verdugo hit .264 with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and a .745 OPS in 2023.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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