The New York Yankees still have moves to make, and trades are expected to happen at some point during the offseason. The Yankees have already traded for Devin Williams, but with more needed, New York will likely have to move on from some of its other top prospects.
According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, one of the players the Yankees have floated in trade packages is Will Warren, a right-handed starter who’s pitched at the Big League level.
“The Yankees are engaged in talks with the Cubs surrounding Bellinger and one name that has been brought up is New York’s No. 5 prospect in righty pitcher Will Warren, as sources told Yankees On SI.
“Warren is being made available in the Yankees’ quest to look for outfield help on the trade market, but a deal with Chicago or other teams would likely require additional pieces in a potential package,” Ragazzo wrote on December 12.
Warren Could Be Caught on Time
Given that the New York Yankees need to maximize their championship window, having someone like Warren around won’t help if he doesn’t bring them exactly what they need.
Warren has the stuff to be an above-average starter at the Big League level, but the right-hander had a 10.32 ERA in 22 2/3 innings pitched in 2024, a disappointing showing as he could’ve given the Yankees innings at points last season.
Thomas Carannante of FanSided predicted the Yankees would move on from him because of that championship window, highlighting how he could be of use in a trade.
“Though they traded Cortes to the Brewers in the Williams deal, that was more about offsetting salary and getting rid of a risky cost (Cortes was set to make $8.3 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility and will be a free agent in 2026). Additionally, he just dealt with a forearm strain down the stretch, so that’s a ticking time bomb in some form.
“But that doesn’t mean Warren just slides in as the next guy. Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman and Cody Poteet are all ahead of him… Warren lost some of his luster when he got rocked last year, but prospect evaluators still like him and he’d carry decent value in a trade. If he didn’t immediately impress upon debuting, it’s hard for the Yankees to convince themselves he’s worth their time during this brief window of maximizing their opportunities,” Carannante wrote on December 14.
Signing or Trading for a Proven Starter Would Make Sense
While Warren could be something one day, and the New York Yankees rotation isn’t in a bad spot, it isn’t ever a bad idea to sign another arm.
If the Yankees could sign one of the mid-tier arms available on the free agency market for less than $15 million AAV, their rotation would be as good as any in baseball next season, pending health.
Warren could welcome a trade, too, as he’d likely have an opportunity to pitch every five games for a rebuilding team.
The Yankees might need to trade him if they want to build the best possible team, so it could work out for both sides.
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