The New York Yankees will be open for business this offseason after once again falling short of their World Series goal, and virtually nothing should be off the table for the club in its pursuit of roster upgrades.
With the news that Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are likely to begin the 2026 campaign on the injured list, rotation help has suddenly skyrocketed close to the top of the Yankees‘ wish list despite the fact that they’re set to have Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren healthy right from the jump.
There’s a world in which New York could use its pitching surplus, however, whether it be at the major- or minor-league level, as a means of acquiring reinforcements either in the rotation or in another area.
While there are some players, such as Schlittler, who the Yankees should hold onto no matter what, Warren doesn’t fall into that same category.
Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees pitcher Will Warren (98) throws in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Warren was a solid performer for the Yankees in his rookie campaign this year, logging a 4.44 ERA with 171 strikeouts over 162 1/3 innings. He was arguably the club’s most dependable rotation arm behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, which was a rather remarkable feat for the 26-year-old.
There was a point in time where Warren’s results were incredibly unlucky as well, evidenced by his 3.46 FIP and 3.58 xFIP with 10.57 strikeouts per nine innings over 20 first-half starts while boasting a 4.63 ERA during that span.
The right-hander lost some steam in the second half, though. Warren’s 4.16 ERA during that timeframe was more than passable, but a 5.27 xERA and 4.93 FIP in 67 frames suggested that some regression was right around the corner. That began to shine through towards the end of September, as he posted a 6.46 ERA in his final three outings of the regular season before giving up six earned runs across 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Two of the ALDS.
Warren’s underlying metrics this season, such as his 91.0 mph average exit velocity against (seventh percentile, per Baseball Savant) and 45.3 percent hard-hit rate (14th percentile) don’t exactly paint a positive picture of the type of pitcher he is.
With a number of prospects nearing their big-league debuts for the Yankees in tandem with the talent already in the big-league rotation, Warren is expendable and could help fetch a difference-maker over the coming months considering he’s under control through 2030.
Though his late-season woes and mediocre analytics are reasons to be weary of his staying power in the majors, opposing clubs will likely still have some level of interest in Warren after he proved himself capable of gathering positive surface-level results at a consistent rate this year.
That may not be the case for long with his pitching profile, however, which is why the Yankees could, and should, look to include him in trade talks this offseason.