The Yankees werent Luke Weavers first choice

New closer Luke Weaver is the Yankees’ surprise star, and he’s surprised himself by loving it here. “New York isn’t a place that I would have said is the top of my wish list.But a lot of people have told me that they came to like it when they played here, and I finally see why,” Weaver, a Floridian, said. Weaver’s call to sign with the Yankees was easy, as he had only minor league offers (11 of them) plus one from the Yokohama Bay Stars for about $1.5M.

The $2M Yankees offer, which includes a team option for $2.5M that will be exercised, was easily the best. I asked him if there were anything he could do to get rid of that now under-market option, and Weaver said, “At the end of the day, I’m happy to have an option to come back here.” The special Dodgers bullpen is going to get tested with just three starters (a bullpen game will be used in either Game 3 or 4).But star reliever Blake Treinen said he thinks they still have a “a minimum of nine days” of “bullets” left.

“We should be fine, man,” he said.The Dodgers made a $300M offer to Yankees Game 1 starter Gerrit Cole in free agency, but it was not only less than the $324M he signed for with the Yankees, it was heavily deferred.

The Shohei Ohtani 50-50 home run ball went for $4.4M, which is double the $2M Ohtani will be paid by the Dodgers this year (plus, of course, the $68M deferred).Seems nutty.

This World Series of marquee franchises in megamarkets is expected to be a smash hit for interest and ratings. “If it isn’t,” one high-ranking team exec said, “we’re all (bleeped).” ...