Pirates already wrote about the Weaver deal — here's what it means now

Already covered the transaction itself a few days ago, so this is just a quick update on where things stand. Weaver posted a 1.42 ERA over 42 appearances for the Mets this season, and Pittsburgh gave up infield prospect Sammy Stafura to get him. The cost was real; so is the arm.

The backdrop is a team that's 56-61, five games out of the last wild card, and has gone 3-7 in its last ten. The offense has cooled — Pittsburgh has been scoring noticeably fewer runs lately than it was through May — and Mitch Keller is done for the year. The rotation is thinner than it was a month ago.

So the bullpen additions make sense as a hedge. If Braxton Ashcraft and Paul Skenes can keep games close, Weaver and Yohan Ramírez — who has been one of the quieter bright spots in the 'pen all season — give the back end some credibility. Whether the offense can hold up its end with Cruz and O'Hearn both on the IL is the more pressing question over the next two weeks.